Client: The Buzz Oates Group of Companies
If you are from Sacramento, everyone knows Buzz Oates, the original pioneer in tilt up construction. Originally he tilted up four walls, cheap construction, cornered the market, over the years the process still is the same, but better design in a competitive market has improved the product. I was hired to give a new look and help change how people see Buzz Boxes. All of the projects were scouted first, a digital preview was made available on each project prior to final illustrations, all problems were answered prior to starting the project and a detailed cost estimate was made for each project. Lots of pre production work up front, but I was able to educate the client on the right way to shoot their product. When the finished scouting shots were delivered, I was told that my scouting shots look great, better than our current finished shots. My comment was just wait, these are only my scouting shots, wait until I deliver the finals.
The original Buzz boxes were just four walls, some paint, nothing fancy. Buzz employed lots of people, taught many people the trade.
The process is still the same, add good lighting, composition, landscaping to frame the illustration, then everything changes.
Still four walls for a warehouse, but add excellent color schemes, mature landscaping, shoot it under the right light and it works.
You move to a larger scale, the process is still the same. You use good light, composition and everything works out for the better. Maybe shooting from a 12′ ladder would give me a slight bird’s eye, and it might allow me to shoot over the landscaping the street.
Still four walls for the economical construction costs, add offsets, different materials, the product improves, capture it under the right conditions and you have a winner.
Todays marketplace demands something more for the client. Still four walls, except there are now offset planes, dramatic entries, which add visual interest. With improved exteriors it lends itself for nice lobbies. Pleasing colors, excellent furniture, artwork and the high volume of vertical space, fits in todays market. Just be there at the right time to capture the space.
This photographed very well and one would not think this was a Buzz Oates project. The evolution of a “Buzz Box” has certainly changed and it is nice to see.
Lots of offset planes give the viewer the visual interest, capture it under the right light with no cars, coordinate interior blinds and call it a day.
Nice entries on both sides of the building. 
Simple but effective, shoot the interiors space at dusk move some flowers for color.
Who would ever thing that Buzz Oates had curved interior walls, with bold colors, photographed under the right conditions and it works. It’s very nice to see the changes.
It’s no longer four walls, you may still have the four walls for economy but now you add different materials, add some depth by introducing some relief in the exterior walls and it works. I use the trees to frame the illustration, good lighting, no cars, which is on a Sunday, had is miss the 49ers. 
When you can use the changing fall colors, it always helps in the final illustrations.
For those north orientations that do not light up naturally, until the month of June, you have to just plan on creative solutions. This was shot at pre sunrise, one of the best times, I like to work. To make this work I had to hide one of the bright exterior lights behind the tree in the foreground, that exterior light lighted the curved canopy, lots of dramatics which makes this illustration come alive. I think these images of the Buzz Oates Companies building certainly changes how ones thinks of Buzz today, I certainly changed my viewpoint. I was happy to lend my talents and give a new look to the Buzz Oates Group of Companies. Buzz Oates recently passed away at the age of 90, he was a good teacher, his did it he way, his taught many people by his work ethics, the company will carry on and he will be missed. Ed Asmus
Ed Asmus Photo Journal 