Why Are My Photos Too Dark?

Likely causes

• Shutter speed too fast for the available light. a fast shutter speed chosen to freeze motion lets in less light, and that loss needs to be made up somewhere else in the exposure.
• Aperture too narrow for the scene's brightness. a narrow aperture chosen for depth of field reduces the light reaching the sensor, especially in dimmer conditions.
• ISO set too low for the actual light level. a low ISO chosen to avoid noise can leave the exposure short if the scene is genuinely darker than expected.

The fix

1. Meter the actual scene and solve for the setting you're willing to change — usually ISO if aperture and shutter speed are already fixed by your composition and motion needs.
2. Check whether a fast shutter speed or narrow aperture chosen for another reason is the real cause, rather than assuming the camera's metering is simply wrong.
3. Re-solve exposure whenever the light changes meaningfully, rather than reusing settings from a brighter scene.