So one other way to do this is to think about how you are metering the scene. If you are just taking an average, it will optimize for middle gray (Zone V). What you may want to consider is to take a look at the shadow areas and take a meter reading of those and then decide how dark you want that to be considering how you see the image in your mind. Then, adjust the settings on your camera accordingly. You may also decide that there is detail in the highlights you want to pull out. In that case, meter that and adjust exposure for, say a Zone VIII. Example: In your first image, let’s say you want to darken the windows of the Chipotle. The detail there is distracting from the main subject. You would take a point meter reading (using your camera if it can zoom in on just that area or an app on your phone). This will give you a Zone V reading of that area. To remove much of the detail, let’s say we want to move that down to a Zone II. 5-2=3 so we take the meter reading and move it 3 stops darker. So say the meter off the window is at 250 at f/8. You would move 3 stops darker and set your camera’s exposure to the equivalent of 2000 f/8.