Normally, the ideal exposure for an outdoor scene is neither under nor overexposed - it's average. That little exposure compensation dial comes in handy for scenes like this because the truth is that we know better than the camera does (hopefully, anyway). Dial in +2.0 and you'll be pleasantly surprised during your next outdoor shoot when the sun is high in the sky. The next photo is the same concept, just a different pose. 

Here’s one more for this post. Even though we're indoors, the lighting is still a little more than meets the eye - she's lit by ambient, the entire alter is lit by off-camera-flash. See, it doesn't seem like he's lit (which is why it works), but if there hadn't been a light down there, you definitely would have noticed more detail, which would ultimately detract from the foreground.