diff --git a/data/shaders/common_structs.hlsl b/data/shaders/common_structs.hlsl
index 983c79f2c..a1dd9d950 100644
--- a/data/shaders/common_structs.hlsl
+++ b/data/shaders/common_structs.hlsl
@@ -226,9 +226,9 @@ struct Light
         if (light_is_directional())
         {
             float2 uv      = direction_sphere_uv(-forward);
-            uint mip_level = 8; // sample higher mip to capture more light along that direction
+            uint mip_level = 5; // sample higher mip to capture more light along that direction
             color          = tex_environment.SampleLevel(samplers[sampler_trilinear_clamp], uv, mip_level).rgb;
-            intensity      = luminance(color) * 10.0f;
+            intensity      = 1.0f;
         }
 
         // apply occlusion
diff --git a/runtime/Rendering/Renderer.cpp b/runtime/Rendering/Renderer.cpp
index a38a3d457..0d2aa430d 100644
--- a/runtime/Rendering/Renderer.cpp
+++ b/runtime/Rendering/Renderer.cpp
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ namespace Spartan
         // options
         m_options.clear();
         SetOption(Renderer_Option::Hdr,                           swap_chain->IsHdr() ? 1.0f : 0.0f);                    // hdr is enabled by default if the swapchain is hdr
-        SetOption(Renderer_Option::Bloom,                         0.05f);                                                // non-zero values activate it and define the blend factor
+        SetOption(Renderer_Option::Bloom,                         0.03f);                                                // non-zero values activate it and define the blend factor
         SetOption(Renderer_Option::MotionBlur,                    1.0f);                                                 
         SetOption(Renderer_Option::ScreenSpaceGlobalIllumination, 1.0f);                                                 
         SetOption(Renderer_Option::ScreenSpaceShadows,            static_cast<float>(Renderer_ScreenspaceShadow::Bend));