We report crater formation due to interaction of the high power laser pulse with the brass and aluminum in water and air ambient. The deposited nanostructures on brass near and away from the crater periphery are distinctly different with larger particle size (similar to 3.5 mu m) and broader particle size distribution with full width half maximum (FWHM) similar to 2.9 mu m close to the crater compared to relatively smaller particle size (similar to 2.5 mu m) and narrower size distribution (FWHM similar to 1.7 mu m) near the periphery of the crater in air ambient. The morphology of brass in water ambient shows nanosize particles (similar to 55 nm) and narrow distribution (FWHM similar to 7.5 nm) away from the crater with nanorod shaped structures at crater periphery. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.