Tired of taking those cliché photos outside of Old Main and at the Nittany Lion Shrine? Us too.

Living in State College, though located in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains, doesn’t offer a lot of “Instragramable” photo shoot locations. Unless, of course, you take Penn State’s campus into the equation, but even then a lot of the popular spots are a bit too touristy for most.

So, where do you go if you’re looking to up your Instagram game when you’re not in a major metropolitan area?

Well, that’s the question I decided to set out and solve. I took one of our most promising young photographers, Alysa Rubin, and worked with her to find the best spots downtown to snap some self portraits. And, yes, it did double as an opportunity for me to take some fire Insta pics.

Guilty as charged. A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.

3 Dots Piano

The 3 Dots piano is a relatively new staple to downtown State College. The area itself functions as a creative community space for locals to come and hang out, brainstorm, or even rent out and entertain.

One of the spot’s initiatives is to foster community collaboration. In order to do so, it placed a piano right outside its doorstep for passersby to jam out on if they so desire. Obviously, it was one of the first places that popped into my head when I tried to get my creative juices flowing.

Whether or not you play the piano — spoiler alert: I don’t — it’s still a pretty picturesque scene. Plus, if you take your picture at the right angle, you can catch a glimpse of the beloved Halal cart beckoning you into the distance.

Yallah Taco

Whether or not you enjoy Mexican food, you can’t deny that Yallah Taco is aesthetic af. The bright colors, funky music, and decorative lights are bound to put a smile on anyone’s face. I mean, just take a look at how happy I am in the picture below:

See! If you’re trying to find a spot where you know you’ll genuinely start cheesing, check out Yallah Taco. The spot even has some funky colored benches you can pose on if you’re going for something a little bit more sexy. It didn’t really work out for me, but maybe it’ll work for you.

Baby’s Diner

Ever wanted to caption a picture “oh baby, baby” in honor of our pop goddess Britney Spears? I know I sure have and what better place to achieve that goal than by making a quick pit stop at Baby’s Diner.

If you’re looking to recapture those ’50s vibes, there’s truly no better location to shoot at. The large, open windows let a lot of natural light in too, so it makes for a great scene.

Calder Way’s Archways

While we might be far, far away from any major metropolitan area, that doesn’t mean you can’t still try to capture the feel of a big city. As you traverse down Calder Way, you’re bound to run into the little shopping complex located between McAllister Street and McAllister Alley.

If you walk down the first set of steps, there’s two beautifully aligned archways for you to get creative with. Alysa and I decided to make the photos a bit more dramatic, but it’s really all up to you.

Random Murals

If there’s one form of art State College appreciates, it’s murals. There seem to be tons of these puppies located on almost every block as you make your way down Calder Way and its subsequent alleys.

Alysa and I stopped at two of these beautiful murals — one located just around the corner from McLanahan’s Downtown and the other right next to Webster’s Bookstore Cafe.

I’m not a super artsy person, but I definitely felt that way posing in front of these beautiful works of art.

Tavern Alleyway

Last, but certainly not least, is the Tavern Alleyway. I’ve been using this spot as a photoshoot location with friends since my freshman year and it has never disappointed.

I don’t know if its the lighting, the red brick road, or the haphazard collection of buildings in the distance, I just love it. Plus, it’s right down the street from Yallah Taco, so you can kill two birds with one stone.

Hopefully, if you were looking for some Instagram inspiration, this helped. If not, at least you got to witness my mini-downtown State College photoshoot. I don’t want to say you’re welcome, but, you’re welcome.