a bad experience in Penang Straits Quay

Recently, I heard about Penang new shopping mall – Straits Quay, but I have no idea what it looks like, just keep received a lot of positive comments: beautiful & nice environment, romantic, and suitable for portrait photography.

That’s what my buddy told me, a guy from Ipoh. I feel shame that I need an Ipoh guy to told me what is the famous thing in Penang now.

Then, they ask for portrait photo shoot at Straight Quay. I was thinking: Wow, what a good timing for me to hear about this shopping mall, and have photograph session there.

I wake up at my usual time - 6am, and get myself prepare for this photo shoot; maybe I’m getting too excited. We meet up at McD Sunrise tower, fill out my stomach with McD Fillet O’Fish breakfast set, and drive toward to Straight Quay.

When I arrive, I need to direct by the security officer to the right car park, before I equip myself with my lovely gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 85mm f1.8, Nikon SB900 Flash, & Nikkor 35mm f2.0. We spend our 35 mins ‘warm-up’ time there with some building shoots, before the arrival of the gorgeous model : xxxx.

After everything is ready, I made my first shoot with Nikkor 85mm f1.8, and I heard a very unfriendly voice shout at us:

“..Hey, you all can’t take photo here!! You need approval from our head office before you can do so!!!”

I’m so surprise that we’ve been stop by the security officer there. I tried to explain to him that we’re don’t use the photos for commercial purpose but for personal interest only, and our explanation seems to be ignored by this Indian security officer, and ‘invite’ us to meet his ‘boss’ in the security room.

I went there with my buddy: Luke, and we’ve been told that we need to get approval from their Sales Gallery office, and make the payment of RM500 per hour before we can take photo there. Again, I talk nicely to this Chinese ‘security officer’s head’ that we are not from any Magazine/Publisher that will use the photos for commercial purpose. And again, my explanation being ignored and rejected by this ‘uncivilized creature’, with a very unfriendly way I would said.

I know I can’t continue the conversation with this ‘creature’, so I request to talk to someone who has higher authority. He provides the contact number with a unfriendly way, and I just call up this lady straight away.

This lady: Emily, request us to meet her at the information counter. While we’re waiting, (stand there approximately for 20mins), some of my buddy just took 1 or 2 scenery photos inside the building. Their action attracts an Indian security officer come to ask us leave the building as no approval from their head office. Due to I do not speak the language as this poor creature do, I just ignore him, and continue standing there to wait for Emily.

At last, Straits Quay has someone civilized, and understandable that I can talk to. We provide her all the personal blog web addresses, and explain that we – bloggers, can help them do a free advertisement through the web to gain more people get knowing about this new shopping mall. Finally she allow us to continue our photo shoot there for 2 hours. I take this opportunity to feedback about we’ve been treated in a very unfriendly way by their security officer’s head.

Honestly, although the place is nice, but I would say they hire wrong people who totally do not know how to handle this situation in a proper way.

Please take a look to some photos that I taken from Straight Quay…

#1

The Banner...

#2

Still under construction..I believe this will turn into a very interesting place :-)

#3

Suddenly I see this view is better than Gurney sea view. What do you think?

#4

The Light House of Straits Quay..yet to complete

#5

I just love the sky so much....

#6

View from light house :-)