There are two types of meters, incident and reflective. Incident meters measure the surrounding light falling on the meter. Reflective meters measure light reflected off a subject. The meter in your camera is a reflective meter.
Exposure
Most of the people who regularly visit this site understand the basics of photography. That said, there are new people every day coming here because they just got their first camera. So once in a while I’ll cover the basics.
One of the first of the photographic skills you need to learn is exposure. If you don’t get that right, everything else comes out wrong. Whether you photograph wildlife, landscapes, close-ups, or people, exposure is a key element to making a great photograph.