The looting and violence in London, and elsewhere in England, in the last week or so shocked many and raised fundamental questions about British society and the reasons why people did it.

I found it surreal to be out during the day in areas of London which were fairly unaffected, but to be watching the devastating effects of the violence and looting on the news at night. Even my local shops in south east London were closing early and locking down in order to protect themselves. A handful of shops were even targeted in my local area, and the violence in Croydon hit very close to home.

While much of the violence hurts the very fabric of local communities, the boarded up and burnt buildings – both residential and commercial - are a physical reminder of the trauma that happened in the riots.

In the aftermath, I did wander around my local area as well as Clapham to see the damage for myself. The initial clean-up had obviously taken place, and the police were more visible on the street.

However, I found it interested to see how the boarded up windows had become a vehicle for the communities to communicate – whether to say that businesses were still open for business ... 

Or messages of support...

While many have lost much, or even everything, there seems a bit of community defiance at the damage that has happened. Simply writing on a wall with a pen to share ones feelings. And in Clapham, people stopped and read what was being written. 

Street photography has come under increasing pressure as western society has become more concerned about the threat of terrorism, but also cynical about the paparazzi culture surrounding celebrities. 

People are much more suspicious today about having their photo taken in public, and police have clamped down on photographers in the name of terrorism and keeping society safe. 

It was, I must admit, rather refreshing to visit the Street Photography exhibition at the Museum of London, in the City of London. The exhibition features over 200 photos from the 1860s to today and examines the relationship between photographers, London’s streets, Londoners and how the anti-terror and privacy laws have affected the place of photography today.

I started off in my early photographic career in photojournalism and street photography. It was something I really enjoyed doing, but found increasingly difficult, even before the anti-terror and stricter privacy laws came into place. 

Although I found much to photograph on London’s streets, as well as Ottawa’s, I found that people were increasingly suspicious as to my motives, and often thought I was with a mainstream newspaper or publication. Much of my photography was personal, and trying to capture the social history at a particular time. 

The death of Princess Diana had much to do with the public’s suspicion of photographers, and many, if not all, street photographers were branded paparazzi. I feel this is somewhat unjust as many photographers weren’t. 

Not surprisingly, my photography became much more architecturally based, and the street photography fell by the way-side. However, after seeing the exhibition at the London Museum, I am wondering whether to do more street photography, particularly with my film camera. The reason is I have found people often become interested in the camera you are using if it’s not digital. 

If we stop photographing ourselves, the documentation of our history will be terribly affected. 

The increasing stigma of having a nice camera. And a tripod.

Increasingly photographers in the UK are increasingly finding themselves running foul of police, security personnel, and even members of the public

The reason? For taking pictures in public, legally. All in the name of the law. And terrorism.

So why the suspicion?

The terrorist attacks over the last number of years has only served to increase, or even reinforce, the mistrust we have of each other, whether its based on race, religion, or even what camera you have. Anyone who is seen to be suspicious or acting suspiciously is suspected of doing no good.

The police often have a tough job keeping society safe, and the Terrorism Act in the UK was supposed to help combat terrorist activity.  Unfortunately, there have been cases where it has been misinterpreted and misread by police, security personnel and the public towards photographers who are legally and legitimately taking photos in public.

Even the Met Police Commissioner John Stephenson recently admitted the police aren’t always reading the Act correctly.

Under UK law, it is legal for members of the public to take photos in a public place. This includes buildings and people, including children (albeit, there are societal mores towards taking photos of children due to paedophilia). The terrorist legislation does not change this right.

The police can only stop someone if they suspect someone of being a terrorist, not because they are a photographer.

While police do have the power to view digital images on mobile phones or cameras, they do not have the power to delete digital images or destroy film at any point during a search. Deletion or destruction may only take place following seizure if there is a lawful power (ie court order) that permits such deletion or destruction.

So, what can photographers do?

This is the £1 million pound question. Ideally, most photographers, if not all, would like to be able to get on with their photography without fear that they will be arrested and / or their photographs will be destroyed.

When dealing with any confrontation, whether it’s with police, security personnel or the public, it probably would be best to be respectful. If questioned by police, answer any reasonable question politely. It’s best to use common sense.