i think i figured out why the photographs were so dark. i think it was me. not my darkness bleeding into them, but the setting i set and forgot. they were often blasted out with light before, and i overcompensated. let's see what i get now. 
i do feel like this is a subjective thing, this interface with the camera and the eye and the oddity of digital reality. the camera eye and the body mind. i think the soul may be like the aperture of a camera, letting in more light, or protecting from overexposure. we need a soul to help us see things in the best light.