First attempt at Night Photography

[castle]

Hi guys,

I went out the other night and decided to have a go at some night photography. Here are a couple of shots I ended up with. Any help or tips and pointers would be great, as this was my first go at photos like these.

1.


2.



Thanks,

Matt

[wulf]

I think the second shot is more successful than the first, because of the leading line of the water's edge and the reflected lights.

Remember that, just because it's fascinating how cameras can capture night scenes, you still need to keep factors like subject and composition in mind to get really good shots.

For example, what about focussing on that bandstand from the first picture as a subject?

Wulf

[Saralonde]

In the first shot, the buildings seem a little out of focus. I'm assuming you used a slow shutter speed. Did you use a tripod? The focus seems a little off or perhaps the focus was on the grass in front and not your subject in the back.
I agree with Wulf that the second shot is better. The reflections give it more interest. You could try getting down lower to get even more foreground and less sky. This would give more emphasis to the reflections including that puddle on the left.

[rikkersc]

I agree with the others, I like the second one better. I think the grass in the first one is a little distracting and makes it look more like a snapshot.
I do like the bandstand in the first one, though. Maybe you could try a shot that includes that without so much grass, or from a different angle.

[jiminyClickit]

castle,

All of the above, and maybe one using on arch opening of gazebo to frame cityscape?