A PHOTO-GRAPH is an image (graph) made with light (photo). Light is one of our most important elements in making a snapshot turn into a photograph. Here are a few ideas about exposure that may help you make a better final photo. More detail on exposure is found in the Online Class section of this web site.
Exposure can make a BIG difference in your final photo. The photo on the left is a classic under exposed / low contrast shot. The range of tone values in the subject were not enough to make a good clean white and a bright dark black which is ideal in a photograph. The graph below it is a "Levels" graph showing the number of pixels or dots of each shade of color from black on the left to white on the right. Notice how there are a lot of dark and middle gray tones and few white and dark black. The photo on the right was cropped to remove some of the unwanted background. Then using Photoshop or the digital editing software that came with the camera the contrast was adjusted by moving the tiny triangle under the graph to the right into the peak of the mountain of shadow or dark points on the levels graph. This sets the black tone on the print to begin where the dark tones begin in the subject. The tiny triangle on the right side where the white tones show was moved to the left to bring it well into the center to move the white point to where the gray colors appear on the original exposure. This brightens up the colors and improves the contrast.
This could have also be adjusted while taking the photograph by setting the camera to an Equivalent Value of + 1/2 to +1 to overexpose and shift the graph to the right from the original. Exposure can often be adjusted by proper meter adjustment which is discussed in greater detail in the photo class section of this web site. Often, however, the final print needs adjustment in the digital darkroom to set the levels and contrast and crop out material that just could not be managed while taking the photo. | 
