Just putting it out there that dramatic lighting and after render image enhancement is normal and not something to be viewed negatively. That said, my best advice is to look at actual photographs, pick one, and attempt to recreate it - lighting, set, clothing, the works. In doing so, it may become apparent to you where you're going wrong. One of the things I can tell you right now, without knowing your workflow is that if it looks good without textures, it will look even better with them. So setup your scenes without the textures visible. If you can do that and make a compelling image, you're well on your way.