so i saw this image and was like “i have to make that, it looks cool” then i started building and then i looked at the reference then back to my build after i was done and it looked good but it was a COMPLETELY different mood form the photo. just look at the contrast between the two 
4 Likes
make the light more yellow
yeah, i dont know what it is but i think the snow needs to look a lot whiter too
i think what makes the first image stand out is the light of the vending machine shining brightly, contrasting with the dark environment.
you can also play around with overall lighting to get a brighter, warmer tone rather than such a grim mood (e.g. go for orange-ish rather than yellow).
2 Likes
I’d say you mad your model have a lot more trash with trash bags all over and the light in the real photo was barely influencing the surroundings, one more thing, snow needs to be a lot more white.
- Overall your scene is dark.
- Your snow is allot more rough with the reference image being more soft.
- The inside of your vending machine doesnt glow as bright as the other image.
- The color of your vending machine is dark which makes it blend into the dark background.
Your lighting is also very different, yours is more dark with a green tint but the reference image is bright with a warm / yellow tint
This build looks good! Great job on it! The light needs to have a larger range and maybe be a small amount brighter.