Malaysia Petronas Towers - Traders Hotel viewpoint

The Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia offers a great view of the Petronas Towers. You can book a room to get this view but you can also access the rooftop bar without a room key. Up there (unlike in the hotel rooms) you will not have to shoot through the glass because there are open windows. However, at busy times, they restrict tripod use. In general, there is no need for a tripod since the window sills offer a good flat surface. When you arrive at the entrance to the bar they will ask if you want a table. It's probably right to take one in exchange for the view and a photo but on a slower weekday you might be able to simply ask if you can take a photo. Just after sunset provides the most dramatic sky (weather permitting). Be sure to bracket your shots.

If you are shooting from a guest room (windows do not open):
1. Consider using a lens skirt to reduce window glare. A dark garment also works if you have to improvise, but please make sure it doesn't enter the view. Turn off all the lights in the room, too.
2. Shoot from several locations. The hotel keeps its windows cleaner than most hotels, but by shooting through different places, you avoid finding a dirt spot from the window when processing.
3. Bring the widest lens you have. The hotel is so close, and the towers are so tall.
4. Tell them when you book that you are a photographer and what view you want; they're very obliging.
If you want to avoid glass, there is a pool and bar area on the 33rd floor. The glass extends to about 1.5 metres above the seating. A tripod, extended as high as you can get, will work, but you have to work quickly. The guards are decent people, but they have a policy to police.

KLCC station is a short walk away, or simply hail a taxi to Traders Hotel.