Exercise: the Users Viewpoint.

This is all about buildings and space and how they work or maybe don't for the particular activity they have been designed for.


I wanted to think slightly outside of the box for my photographs and choose two views involving a reception area in an office and then Leeds Castle.  leeds-castle.com

The first photograph is taken from the viewpoint of the receptionist, in fact its my own desk and where I do my full time job.

I sat in my chair slightly back from where I would normally sit and had a look to see if it worked as it should do.  I used a focal length of 18mm and made minimal adjustments in photoshop just slight vibrancy and saturation levels adjusted then the unsharp mask.  I took this from sitting down as I was interested to see if the area really did work as it had been designed to do.

The second view I wanted to take was the view from the angle of guests entering the office, I am visible to them,.

I used the same settings and adjustments as described above.

Having entered the office as a 'guest' I thought in general the space worked well, however it was very easy to enter through the double doors and turn right into the main office area without really seeing the receptionist, something which has happened on several occasions and I have actually been told 'sorry I didn't see you there'.

Leaving that comment aside if guests do enter and turn left towards the desk I am clearly visible to them as my head and shoulders are easy to see above the desk. I can also see guests arriving and can be ready to greet them and direct them where they need to go.

The third photograph is taken at Leeds Castle crossing across the moat and entering the castle walls.  Leeds Castle is often described as the 'loveliest castle in the world' which maybe true but I wanted to take the view point of people entering the castle in bygone days.

I stood and looked at the imposing sight in front of me and tried to picture the sort of people who would have entered the castle, some would no doubt have been on horseback but as I was unable to take that view I had to take it at standing height.  As I said the entrance to the castle is imposing and as you cross over into the main area you can see the heavy wooden doors that would have been closed to help protect the occupants from the outside either from natural elements or most likely from attack. I took this at 18mm focal length as I wanted to get the whole of the area in and not just the 'door way'.

The final photograph is really just to show how the area inside the gateway has been used today, Stables are now coffee shops and gift areas.