Yes, ABC is eventually who they contacted. All the Joses on the job were just swinging hammers, project management and ownership come from GC and insurance backgrounds. I chalked up the unfamiliarity with tapered insulation to being "residential" contractors. Live and learn.
I have a lot of pictures here: http://imgur.com/a/3NhKm
I wasn't sure of the capacity of the upload function here and already had that album up. If I need to, I can upload them directly.
As for appearing like shingles, I just meant the texture & granulation like roll roofing, as you mentioned. The "smooth" modified bit is what I've never seen and is why I'm reserving judgement until I hear from pros. However, "tough" is not how I would describe this material. I don't expect to leave permanent footprints standing on the membrane for a few seconds on a warm but not hot day.