the end results

At the end of February, I was hired by Bluebolt Outdoor to photograph their five solar powered charging benches recently installed at Solano Community College in Fairfield, CA.  The last Tuesday of the month I spent about 2.5 hours on campus photographing the charging benches, with students using them and without students. 

I was impressed with Bluebolt’s solar powered charging benches.  Charging is free to the user.  Each bench has the ability to charge up to 8 devices.  There is unobtrusive advertising on both sides of the bench’s vertical back.  Because the benches are so new, only four of the twelve groups of students I photographed were aware of their purpose.  Once they saw the benches were ready for them to charge their devices, they were impressed.

Prior to this assignment, I had an eight year professional association with Solano Community College, by way of my prior life as a Konica Minolta Account Executive.  I knew the campus well.  In addition, I literally lived across the fence from the college for seven years.  However, it had been two and a half years since I was on the campus. 

While scouting the Saturday before my shoot, I was confused and disoriented because the building I had frequented the most, Building 100, was gone.  It had housed the Library, Technology Services and the Reprographics Print Shop.  I had visited Technology Services and Reprographics many, many times.  

On the day of the shoot, I found that Building 100 was a new, very modern facility sitting deeper in the campus.  It still housed the Library and Technology Services. 

Bluebolt’s five solar charging benches were located where Building 100 had previously stood.  Now the area was a large grassy oval with a nicely sculpted landscape.  In addition to the charging benches, the area contained several chairs and tables for students to study or eat lunch.   

The photo shoot started slowly because there was only one student in the area willing to be photographed on a bench.  As the noon hour progressed, I managed to garner more willing students.  It was a beautiful February day.  Everyone, including me, enjoyed the shoot.

I used my Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S and my Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S lenses.