Originally Posted by
Manfred M
In my experience, deliberately underexposing an image usually does not work because of the tonal range compression one gets. The shot looks like the photographer has not exposed properly. That happens to be the case here.
Exposing correctly and then pulling down the mid-point detail in post usually produces a superior image as the image then has the full tonal range.
Neither work as well as actually taking the shot at the end of golden hour or better yet at blue hour, because the light is so much better.