Fortune

On the way back from the arboretum on what I'm guessing was the windiest day of the year, I stopped by the Business Building to take a few pictures of one of the most modern-looking locations on all of campus.  Looking a bit farther away across the street, the equally sleek Law Building boasted its unique architecture and awesome lighting.  They're both in viewing distance of the arboretum, too, so that's a plus.

Back to the Business Building.  One of my favorite features of the Business Building, by far, is the stairwells (above).  Not only do they help up-and-coming business majors and veteran businesspeople alike propel themselves up a floor, but they look nothing like the stairs you'll find in our dorms.  The lights that gently illuminate the flight of stairs are straight out of Tron and definitely add a futuristic feel to the whole look of the building.  Though I'm not looking to switch my major to anything business related anytime soon, these stairs and extensive rest of the building make it a tiny bit tempting.  Hammond, our engineering building, has got some competition.

At a school as big and busy as Penn State, a huge population passes, climbs, and glances at these exact stairs every day.  In particular, I'd like to draw attention to how I wrote "glances".  Sure, we have incredible facilities, resources, and architecture all around us, but we seldom take time to appreciate the small details that surround us.  Photography truly has the power to draw attention to subjects frequently overlooked.  Those stairs in the Business Building, for example, may have never caught your eye prior.

On the other hand, there are instances of natural beauty that draw the attention of nearly everyone.  Take this rainbow (above), for instance.  One of the benefits of having some of the moodiest weather around, rainbows have been known to show their face around campus from time to time.  This rainbow in particular was shot in the late afternoon and the photo turned out fairly dark, which was a bit disappointing.  As I was taking my picture, I noticed nearly everyone snapping photographs for Snapchat, Instagram, what have you.

I encountered a similar situation when I shot this photo recently of some clouds overhead:

Being in the right place at the right time is nothing short of one of the best feelings.  Shooting both of these pictures definitely required a bit of luck and timing—something that all photographers need from time to time.  Shooting pictures of something dynamic and catching it at the perfect instant is something that everyone strives for.  But, let's be real, how can anyone make something this amazing look bad?

Some of the most incredible photographs, to me, are the ones that focus on something outwardly boring and bring it to life.  The ability to create art from what others believe cannot become art is 

Soon, I was reminded of the photo I had taken in the Business Building.  The photo of a relatively boring gray staircase with some lights.  Sure, it wasn't a dramatic, dynamic shot of clouds during a sunset, but it was art in its own right.  What I'm trying to say here is I believe we're enamored with the spontaneity, convenience, and grandeur of photographing natural beauty and sometimes, we don't appreciate the boring, stagnant, staircases enough.  

So, next time you look at something and think, "Man, that is the ugliest thing I've ever seen," (maybe it's Hammond, maybe it's not,) someone out there might not think so.  Maybe, just maybe, they might even be able to turn it into a piece of art.