This 3D scene was created in Blender and was inspired by the oil derricks that once loomed over California.
I’d appreciate any critique you can offer regarding lighting, texturing, composition and overall effect.
Good start !
My comments, first of all regarding composition: The image doesn’t tell a story, as much as it would like to show off various elements of the scene. The center of the image is the far horizon, the viewer does not know what to focus his attention on. Maybe refocus the little cabin, bring it more towards the center, because it has the potential to ignite the viewer’s imagination.
Lighting: Your sky has a nice color scheme, however, it is not consistent with the rest of the rail/rigs/house/ground. This seems to be during the sunset, but I would expect some rays of orange light shining onto the scene: instead your colors look very dark and dull. You can’t really distinguish the color of the grass from that of the rail tracks for example.
Secondly the side-lamps near the tracks do not cast any light on the ground below, that’s weird.
Finally, you have a problem with your shadows: The main shadows should be due to the sunset, but look for example at the lamp on the very left of the image: its shadow goes from left to right, and is not consistent with the direction of the sun.
Finally, when you adjust the light from the sun, you should have more color dynamic range, with some richer warm colors and more contrast.
Hope this helps 
I the like the potential story also. Like andyio was saying the story gets lost in the details. I think it might work better to be closer to dusk. Make the porch light show more by darkening the time of day. I don’t think changing the position of the camera is the right thing to do necessarily. The oil rigs in the background could be more of a silhouette. I think if I was going to try and control the viewers eye I would use degrees of light. 1. Porch light being the brightest, 2. Upstairs window next brightest, then the sky.
Just my thoughts.