Vray & Sketchup Rendering - how can I improve?

[jamiesiddons]

This is my first ever post, be kind!

 

So I'm a 3D designer, I design shops for the cosmetic sector full time. No one has thus far had a problem with my renders, but I'm not happy with them!

 

I've seen other renders where they're too realistic to tell it apart from the real world! I want to be able to do this, but my eye isn't very good.

 

I can mess around with all the settings to do what I want to do to the image, ie.. Increase GI to remove dark areas etc... But I can't seem to be able to recognise that the areas are too dark to be able to fix it! To be able to recognise that the lighting is wrong in areas is my problem, not that I don't know how to increase dark areas. (Lighting is only an example, I also struggle to recognise that colours are too vibrant and glass isn't refractive enough etc..)

 

So my question is: What is your workflow? How do you replicate real life graphics? What techniques and advise do you have for someone at my level.

 

Thanks in advance guys, any replies appreciated