A Journey Through the Lied Recreation Center

Entrance to Lied Recration Center

Welcome to the Lied Recreation Center on the far east side of the Iowa State University Campus in Ames, Iowa. These pictures are meant to give a new comer the experience of a day at the fitness center. These particular pictures were taken at midnight, closing hours, in an effort to show the maximum amount of space; also incase no one wanted to be in a picture.

The picture mainly focuses on the entrance and the height of the building. The entire building is too large to fit into the picture; for one to get far back far enough trees would begin to block the shot. Therefore, its sheer height is used to give the observer a feel for its full size. The suspended lights are also purposely positioned, they create a focal point on the door as they begin to narrow themselves as they slip into the distance. Seeing how this is the first step in our journey it makes sense to have something feel like it invites you into the rest of the building/journey. There is another affect of the lighting that sets this picture off. The lights cause a focal point not only because of it being relatively centered, or the effects of the emerging lights, but also because they only light the entrance. Since only the path is lit the eye sees no reason to trail off but to the door, which was the intended idea. So, again one feels invited to wonder what’s behind the doors.

Check in Desk

The angle selected for this picture is not meant to make it look like abstract art or to make one dwell on a strange extreme angel. Instead, it is the simplicity of the angle that draws them in. Its the same angel one would have upon entering the building. This gives the viewer a feel of what to expect. Not only can they ‘feel’ what to expect due to the view, but they can literally see what to expect. They will enter the building like these people and will check in. They will hand the person behind the desk their ISU card to be scanned and will then be free to move along.

The lighting and the counter also help give this feeling. Although it was not originally intended, the first light and side of the bar are perpendicular to the camera. Making your eye stop (get your card swiped). Then both the light and the counter become parallel, giving the feeling that the new comer should follow it down the line to the rest of the building. Lastly, the last light is again perpendicular to the picture frame. It is causing the eye or the possible visitor to stop. For our purposes, stop to prepare for the next photo; the people in the picture would stop to take in their surroundings and debate where to go to next, possibly the rock wall.

Rock Wall

Immediately, upon arrival of the recreation center one is met by a huge rock wall. It has many different degrees of difficulty and is portrayed by showing the entire wall. While still showing the entire wall the photo also shows other key characteristics. The addition of the pillars gives the spectator a sense of point of reference. If someone does decide to visit the Lied the adding of the columns will help orient them to their final destination if it is the rock climbing wall. They also again make the eye notice the height of the building and make the viewer aware that the building has a sizable width in either direction. The cropping on the right of this picture also tells the onlooker that the fitness center still yields even more opportunities if the rock wall isn’t what they are looking for.

An after thought or a criticism of this shot is the lack of activity. The original thought was to show the structure empty to get across the message of its size and not to have a picture cluttered with people. If people had been on the wall it would have been a nice feature. It would have been more welcoming and more interesting. This could possibly even demonstrate how the wall works. Nevertheless, had people been on the wall it may have distracted from the qualities of the photo mentioned above.

Exiting-Statues

This was also an accident but still a very intersting picture, you can’t see the statues. At first you only see a black screen with snowflakes. As you are forced to change your angel of the photograph you see what was meant to be seen. Two steel jogging statues.

As one leaves the Lied they see this statue. The statues remind the exiting person(s) of a time when the snow, that is currently falling all around them, will be gone and they can run outside. There will be no need for an indoor center for warmth. The falling snowflakes really get across the idea of cold. The coldness of the steel only adds to this feeling. Yet, the jogger statues have no clothes and are slim in appearance. This makes the viewer wish for warmer temperatures and gives themselves the feeling that they too are healthier and slimmer for working out.

A final point to make is that this photograph resembles the opening picture. They are obviously both in the same place but they have other similarities. Their symmetry helps make the journey feel complete. The majority of the screen is black with minimal lighting. This time there is no lights to lead the way. The voyage has been made now the person is to move on without further guidance.