Demystifying Curves

[oldhippy]

Found this incredibly helpful Understanding Curves - Beginner Adobe Photoshop tutorial [In-Depth] - YouTube

 

[oldhippy]

Also many thanks to JacaRanda for his suggesting I try this type edit
posting before and after shots.

Before. After

 

[KmH]

If your original was not under exposed, you would not need to make as much of a Curves adjustment, if any.
Use the histogram feature on the rear LCD of your camera to gauge exposure accuracy.

Tones & Contrast

• Understanding Histograms, Part 1: Tones & Contrast
• Understanding Histograms, Part 2: Luminosity & Color
• Using the "Levels" Tool in Photoshop
• Using the "Curves" Tool in Photoshop
• Understanding Image Posterization