It's not easy to find great views of large cities. It can take a lot of scouting, studying postcards, and talking to other photographers. One of the easiest ways to gain access to commanding views of a city is by seeking out rooftop restaurants. I look for well situated restaurants wherever i go, such as the incredible restaurant on top of the Lebua Hotel in Bangkok. The view of the city you see here was taken from the 52nd floor. Make the reservation in time to catch twilight, because that time of the evening offers the most attractive lighting and color. Some of the finer restaurants won't allow you to use a tripod, so take the ballhead off the tripod and, with the camera mounted on it, rest it on a railing, a window sill, a table, or any other firm support. It works great, and with the mirror lockup feature and the self-timer, you can get sharp pictures. Just keep a downward pressure on the ballhead to maintain complete stability and insure that your pictures will be tack sharp. Also, remember to turn off the image stabilization.
The settings for this picture were 0.4 seconds, f/4, and 400 ISO. I used a Canon 24-105mm lens set to 24mm, and I shot this with a daylight white balance.