1. A method for automatically improving a dynamic range of pixel intensities in a digital image comprising: (a) capturing with a first exposure time a first image of a subject within the field of view of an image sensor resulting in a captured first image comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels having a respective intensity value; (b) querying a frequency distribution of pixel intensities of the plurality of pixels; (c) determining a region of the frequency distribution having a greatest frequency of occurrence of pixel intensities; and (d) determining an adjusted exposure time configured to move the region of the frequency distribution having the greatest frequency of occurrence toward a center of the frequency distribution when used to acquire an image of the same subject captured with the adjusted exposure time thereby obtaining an image having an improved dynamic range of pixel intensities.