I got a call from a good friend of mine the other day, about shooting a truck for one of the magazines I work for. “They screwed this article up royally,” he says to me. “I wasn’t even listed, and neither was another guy. You should shoot it for another magazine and make sure we get the right credit.”

I’ve been in this situation before, and it was a tricky scenario. Back then, I was a young photographer, just trying to make my way in the business. Now that I have a bit more experience however, I know the way this should go down.

Chances are pretty high that there’s a reason why my friend’s credits weren’t given in the tech sheet. Either the owner wasn’t happy with the results, or maybe someone else had to be paid to redo the job. Regardless, the owner doesn’t want to give certain people credit, and as the guy who possesses the vehicle, it’s his right to do so.

This puts me in a weird situation. I want to shoot the truck because I think it’s a great vehicle and I’d love to put it out there. But if I do that, I have to choose between satisfying the owner, and satisfying my friend. Either way, someone is going to get ticked off.

What’s the answer?

I put the truck on my “do not touch” list. It’s not a very long document or anything, but from now on, I don’t touch the truck or anything the owner builds. That way, I don’t risk irritating anyone along the line. Sure, that does rule out me shooting anything he does in the future, but more often than not, I photograph the cars of first-time vehicle builders. Chances are pretty good that I won’t be asked to shoot one of his trucks again, and if I do, I’ll politely decline.

Sometimes it’s more about being political than anything. It’s not a great situation to be in, but by avoiding it entirely, I also avoid the potential problems down the road.