How to achieve clarity and color like these?

[trooper5010]

I've been looking at this guy Jacob Wagner's photography blog and was wondering how he can get the tone so cold but the lights so warm, and also how it can be so sharp? Will my standard 18-55mm lens from my Canon XS be able to produce something similar to this?

I am going to Cape Town, South Africa at the end of this year and wanted to take similar photographs as he did! But wanted to make sure I was doing them correctly, because I know it's pretty easy to mess up LE cityscape/landscape shots.

Here's his shots, I'm specifically talking about the first one and last one (the ones in Cape Town, South Africa) Nightscapes on the Behance Network

EDIT: Also, how did he get the look of the first couple of photos to look so "icey"? It looks awesome in LE!

Much help would be appreciated, thanks!!

[OsmosisStudios]

Almost all long-exposures, almost all HDR. It's almost all in the editing.

This is how one develops a particular look; you can always ask him.