saving an overexposed shot in PS/ burn tool help?

[wings of a bluebird]

Is there any way?

I'm really, really not very good with PS, but I have it and I try as best I can with it. However I'm finding some things really hard at the moment.

Like for some reason when I go to use the burn tool it seems to come out looking like flowers despite the brush being set to a round brush, not a flower?!

Anyway, I have a really cute pic I snapped of my youngest daughter hugging my niece and it was such a quick shot I didn't have time to adjust anything (I shoot manually and in RAW) but of course it's hideously overexposed.

So, any tips on what I can try to save it??

I'm relatively inexperienced in shooting raw - I open the file in my canon program and then use the "transfer to photoshop" option since it's the only way I can seem to get it to open in PS.!

I'd really appreciate any help, tips or tutorials you could point me in the direction of that might help save this cute shot.

[IABoomer]

Not sure which version of Photoshop you're using, but Adobe's Camera Raw: Extend | Adobe Photoshop CS5 should give you a way to open/edit the raw file directly and make some adjustments to exposure, fill light, contrast, etc. before getting into the fine details on PS.

You might get lucky and a simple slide back on the exposure slider will be enough to get you most of the way there.

The rest of it (dodging/burning/brushes) is outside my typical process, so I'll defer to someone better experienced.

[SusanH1970]

If you could post the photo with EXIF that would help us help you.

[wings of a bluebird]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

If you could post the photo with EXIF that would help us help you.

ooh I think I managed to salvage it well enough that my SIL likes it anyway!

[baycruisers]

In PS open the image, create a new copied layer (Ctrl-J) and use the Blend/Multiply mode. You may be able, with multiple layers, to create a good exposure. If necessary, you can change the opacity of the last layer to fine tune the image.