Hi Olaf,
Getting the exposure correct is one of the essential aspects of photography.
Now most of us know what over and under exposure looks like at the extreme level, but as you get more experienced at photography you come to realise that small adjustments in exposure can also make a big difference.
I love everything about this photograph with the one exception – it is just a little bit too bright. If it was me making this photograph I would have been inclined to darken it down by about half 2/3 of a stop.
One of the simple ways to underexpose a photo, particularly if you are working in the automatic modes, is to use the exposure compensation dial. Normally the exposure compensation is set to 0, but if you think the image is being overexposed you can set the exposure compensation to -0.7 or darker if you think the photo needs it.
The warning about using exposure compensation dial it is to reset it back to 0 when you have finished.
Another option is to work in manual mode, where you control the aperture, shutter and ISO settings with every photograph. This does take some more effort, but when you master working in manual, you will begin feeling like you have more control over the image making process.
For the image below I have made a loose selection around the fly using the Lasso tool (make sure the Feathering is set to about 50 - 100 pixels). I then inverted the selection (Select>Inverse) and used the Exposure adjustment to slightly darken everything except the fly.
Cheers for now, Anthony
Image Doctor's edited version
