This presentation focuses on how light can be manipulated and confined within micron-sized structures for the investigation of the optical analog to the quantum corral. We have generated circular and elliptical rings made of gold and have characterized them using near-field optical microscopy. Optical images revealed the formation of standing wave patterns within the ring-structures; the nature of the patterns depended on the wavelength of light used for imaging. These electromagnetic standing waves have potential applications in high sensitivity optical sensors and photonics.