Thank you for all of the information. I have seen some people suggest placing / holding a black piece of cardboard in front of the camera, trip the shutter, then move the cardboard away. When the exposure is complete, bring the cardboard back, then close the shutter.

Hello;

Yes the shot was taken from the West End Overlook. Everyone seems to agree that it is a combination of camera movement and imperfect focus. I will continue to work at it and see what I can improve.

re the incline. I'll try to add a delay for my next shoot.

Using a cable release, on a Manfrotto lightweight tripod, shooting with a Nikon D750 (or D5000) and a Tamron 24-70 lens so a different / sturdier tripod may be in order.

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My apologies, I thought that I attached these to the original post. The first is the overall shot, the second is a crop showing the blurred or reflected lights.

I am shooting night time shots of my city (Pittsburgh), and notice that the lighted signs on buildings appear to be sharp, but often seem slightly out of focus / have a reflection. For example in the attached photo (1 second, F10, ISO 200), the lighted building signs (e.g. UPMC, Gateway Health, Wyndham) appear to be slightly out of focus, but almost seem to be "doubled".

Could this be caused by a UV filter on the lens creating a reflection, or is it just a case of needing a sturdier tripod??

Thanks, I use him as my avatar on twitter. That's a heated rock and he sits or lays on it on most cool days.

Another picture from a day at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Here you go, focus could be better, but it's an appropriate shot for a Monday!