Ghost towns are often filled with mystery. It is our job to find the most mysterious scene and make it even more mysterious. Often this is done by using light creatively. When we combine mysterious light with other elements it creates a scene that evoke emotion. This image is an emotional image to me. It seems inviting but also generates a bit of fear. What is causing the light? What is on the other side of the door? Should you go in or run away?

What also draws me to this image is the color. These walls and the door were painted nicely years ago but they still make the scene colorful. By far, though, the bright light on the sand does it for me. I increased that light's intensity in post. The white balance was warmed too, especially where the brighter light is.

          In post processing it is often localized adjustments that separates the pro from the amateur. Clearly, we don't want to warm up the blueish wall on the left. We want that wall cold because it helps to create the mood and contrast with the brighter light of the sand. So we warm up the brighter light, and the door frame and the door and even the rest of the sand to varying degrees but we leave the blueish objects cold. This requires localized adjustments which are painted in using masks.

          Much of the mystery of this image was exentuated in post processing. Play around with your images and see if you can add mood and mystery to those that lend themselves there to.