Underexposure

Underexposure occurs when a photograph receives insufficient light, resulting in an image that appears darker than intended. This happens when the exposure settings (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) don't allow enough light to reach the camera sensor. Underexposed images typically show lost detail in shadow areas, reduced contrast, muted colors, and an overall dark appearance. While it's sometimes used creatively to create moody, dramatic images, unintentional underexposure generally degrades image quality. When attempting to brighten underexposed images in post-processing, noise and color banding often become more prominent. Digital cameras have less latitude for recovering details from underexposed areas compared to overexposed areas, making it generally preferable to slightly overexpose rather than underexpose in challenging lighting situations.