In digital photography, blooming occurs when bright areas of an image produce streaks or halos due to overexposure on a camera's CCD sensor. It is essentially the electronic equivalent of lens flare, where excess light spills over into adjacent pixels, reducing image contrast and detail. Blooming is most noticeable in high-contrast scenes, such as night photography with bright lights or reflective surfaces, and understanding it helps photographers manage exposure, sensor performance, and post-processing for cleaner, more accurate images.