A Right to Photograph

It's a gorgeous, sunny, crisp day today to I popped out briefly to take a photo of the building I work in as it's a striking building and the light was just right.

I take two photos and then I hear a voice from behind me say "Alright, love?"

I turned round, to see two PCSOs, one of whom wasn't interested but the following conversation ensued with the other:

Me: "fine thanks"
Him: "you taking some snaps there?"
Me: "yes"
Him (not moving): "oh right?"
Me: "yes. I work here"
Him (still not moving): "oh, that's fine"

He was smiley and chatty and didn't try and stop me taking photos, but it still hacked me off that I still felt like I had to justify to him why I was taking photos. I always have my staff ID on me when I'm around campus taking photos in case campus security ask, but they never have done.

I was on a main road, it's one of the city's landmark buildings and every year countless happy parents take photos of their smiling, graduating offspring in front it. Do they get stopped? No.

Perhaps they're a bit more cautious after recent student protests? Although it's interesting that when I took this blip, the place was swarming with police and I felt absolutely fine taking photos of frontline officers - as did all the other people taking photos.

That's twice now I've been stopped - both times, it's all been friendly and polite, but it's making me more wary of taking photos in the street and it shouldn't.

Anyway, when they'd gone, I turned the direction of my lens away from the building and towards them...

The arm of the Law looks a bit longer in large