exposures

Exposures is a term used across disciplines to describe contact with factors that may produce effects, including light, environmental hazards, biological agents, or financial risk. The specific meaning varies by field, but common elements are timing, amount, and route of interaction.

In photography and cinematography, exposure denotes the amount of light reaching the recording medium. It is determined by aperture (f-number), shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity. A correctly exposed image shows detail in both bright and dark areas; misexposure leads to washed-out highlights or blocked shadows. Photographers may use light meters, exposure compensation, and bracketing to achieve the desired result, and post-processing can adjust exposure retrospectively.

In health and environmental science, exposure assessment estimates the frequency, duration, and intensity of contact with a hazardous agent through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. It informs risk characterization and regulatory limits. Data come from environmental monitoring, occupational measurements, self-report, or biomonitoring, and are used to estimate dose and potential health effects.

In finance and insurance, exposure refers to the potential amount of loss from a defined risk, such as credit exposure to a borrower or market exposure to price movements. It supports risk measurement, capital allocation, and decision making, often expressed as monetary value or probability-weighted metrics like expected loss.

Across fields, understanding exposure enables assessment, mitigation, and management of potential harms or losses, as well as the adjustment of practices to achieve desired outcomes.