Indeed they're, it doesn't look like you've put much any effort into it

seems like it was a bright day. You lifted exposure to expose the subject and burnt out the sky. Subjects lighting is still poor

Good topic...composition could be better.

Take some time to watch this and keep the comments in mind next time you run across the situation in order to make more interesting images:

The Rule Of Thirds - photography tutorial with Mike Browne

The first image leads the eye too ??

Second and third image...have the subject smack dab in the middle of the frame.

so 2 problems... sky is too bright (really cloudy day) and crop it down so there are less laterns... what about that shot with the alleyway sky too bright?

Also, the lantern one should probably be editorial: although I don't have a clue about what's written there, there are 1+ billion people who can read it.

They aren't too snapshotish for flickr

In the first image, I find the perspective lines problematic.  The lines of the doorway on the right feel awkward, as does the wall on the left.  I'd consider stretching the top left and top right to make the whole thing more perpendicular.  I also notice that the brick walk isn't straight; it moves up from left to right.  Also, you cut the corner of the leftmost plant, so the leaf seems to enter the scene from nowhere.

In the second, the lower row of lanterns is cut off at the middle.  Given all the empty (and dull gray) sky above, why not reposition lower down to show less sky and more lanterns?

The blown out sky in the third is distracting, and so is that little bit of building in the upper right.  At minimum I'd edit that out.  Better would be to change viewpoint a little to the right to lose that bit of building and the leftmost lantern you cut off.  Best would be to reshoot on a day when the sky isn't so dull.

You have got highly geometric subjects and you have positioned yourself in relation to it in such a way that the result is not pleasing to the eye. You need to consider how lines and shapes interact, how to avoid a cluttered appearance and how lines lead the eye from place to place. Careful use of depth of field might come into consideration, as well.

In the first image, I find the perspective lines problematic.  The lines of the doorway on the right feel awkward, as does the wall on the left.  I'd consider stretching the top left and top right to make the whole thing more perpendicular.  I also notice that the brick walk isn't straight; it moves up from left to right.  Also, you cut the corner of the leftmost plant, so the leaf seems to enter the scene from nowhere.

In the second, the lower row of lanterns is cut off at the middle.  Given all the empty (and dull gray) sky above, why not reposition lower down to show less sky and more lanterns?

The blown out sky in the third is distracting, and so is that little bit of building in the upper right.  At minimum I'd edit that out.  Better would be to change viewpoint a little to the right to lose that bit of building and the leftmost lantern you cut off.  Best would be to reshoot on a day when the sky isn't so dull.

looks like I will throw those lantern shots in the bin since I have already wasted enough time trying to make them work. Interesting what you said about the alleyway image, I'll see what I can do with them, perhaps I tilted the original shot too much trying to straightening it up.

too bad I can't reshot these cause it was taken whilst overseas last month