1. A method comprising: capturing a test image, the test image captured using a predefined exposure value; determining a brightness level of one or more regions of the test image, wherein each region of the one or more regions comprises at least a portion of the test image that is defined by a predefined number of pixels, the predefined number of pixels of each region of the one or more regions determined based on a number of photo detectors of an image sensor used to capture the test image; generating brightness data representing the brightness level of each region of the one or more regions of the test image; determining a maximum brightness level for each region of the one or more regions of the test image based on the brightness data and compositional criteria, the compositional criteria comprising awareness data for determining what a scene of the test image comprises, the awareness data comprising: orientation data, the orientation data used to determine at least one of a subject and a perspective of the test image; one or more previously captured images that are stored in an image database, the one or more previously captured images used to determine what is in the scene of the test image; and one or more of: calendar data, the calendar data used to determine at least one of an event and a geographic location where the test image is captured; and environmental data, the environmental data used to determine one or more geographical regions in the test image, wherein the maximum brightness level for each region of the one or more regions comprises a level of brightness where information about each region of the one or more regions remains and is not overexposed, an overexposed region comprising at least a portion of a region of the one or more regions that is pure white; determining an exposure value of a final digital image to be captured based on the maximum brightness level determined for each region of the one or more regions of the test image, the final digital image having regions such that each region of the final digital image has a brightness level equal to or less than the determined maximum brightness level; and capturing at least one final digital image according to the determined exposure value.