I received an email last week out of the blue. I was asked if I could take pictures of a building for a California company who owned it.  They wanted pictures for their web site where they listed the building for sale.  In looking at their web site, I saw lots of pictures of buildings that were nice, but not really all that great photographically.  The object was obviously not to take a great picture of an ordinary building, but to take a picture of the building that depicted it accurately.

I had no idea what to charge them.  So, I gave them a figure.  I was told I was too high.  They normally pay less than I was asking.  That was OK with me, and I submitted a proposal/contract.  They returned it with a couple small changes, and we had a signed contract.

Monday I went to this building.  It is a call center for a defense contractor.  I started taking my pictures, and a security guard came out and told me I could not.  I explained what I was doing, and showed him the contract.  He went inside, and the head of security came out.  Both of them told me it was a “government facility” and no photos were allowed, but they both realized that there was really no way they could stop me as the building was not owned by the government.  Finally, he called the building manager, and I was told I could take my pictures but only of the exterior, and no employees could be recognizable.

So, I took my pictures. One of the stipulations on the contract was I was to include the building signage. The problem was there is no signage on the building. So, I took 20 pictures of a pretty normal, ordinary building.  Here are a couple.