Now this is an issue that I am damn well sick of. I have just read this week's issue of Amateur Photographer (125th Anniversary issue) coupled with last week's issue and there are easily four articles about men being arrested as regards to photography in both of them.

One of the articles was about a classic photo of a girl on her bike, the question the magazines raised was 'Would we be able to take a photo like this now?'. No you would most certainly not. Of course today's generation of men make their sexual desires more pronounced but that does not make them a pervert or paedophile. It just means the world is more open about what is discussed. Again a lot of mature men like young women (NOTE: I did *not* say 'underage' ), there is nothing wrong with wanting a woman with taught skin and everything lumpy defying gravity. A small child these days is only really allowed to cuddle their Dad and Grandfather (as regards to male family) without someone raising an eyebrow. Sometimes even an Uncle or step-Dad arouses suspicion. Over the years, taking photos in an area where children are even present (but not in the photograph) has become a massive issue and perfectly innocent photographers have had their cameras seized. If you have read a photography magazine lately, the average price for a DSLR is around £600, to have that seized and not taken care of could cause very expensive damage.

One tourist was interrogated in public by armed police in Vauxhall in late September. He was in an area that consisted of a pub, a bar and a block of apartments. Not only would that put him off visiting this country, (which we need as the weather is hardly attractive) it would also leave a great big hole in his confidence. My experience cannot compare but it is a related example. I got accused of shoplifting in London once, in Boots, a store I am very loyal to and spend many pounds a year in. I got my hairbush out in front of the security guard, brushed it in front of him, made eye contact with him and put it back in my bag and made my way towards to door. I was walking down an aisle and he was at the other end and confronted me with 'Are you going to pay for that?', so I replied 'What?', to which he said 'The brush', so I pulled out my brush and said 'This brush with about six months of my own hair on it and my elastic hair band?'. Now he clearly felt stupid but he didn't stop there because he came back with 'What else have you got in there?'. I was thoroughly outraged, at the time, I was an 18 year old ADULT (as is the adult age in most countries) and accused of being a very bad shoplifter in the store that I buy most of my cosmestics from. It bashed my confidence and now I feel very insecure every time I go into a Boots store. This tourist must feel the same everytime he gets his camera out just to freeze frame a memory.

Now I am not condoning anyone and everyone taking random photos of children in public places. I am saying a man with a camera passing a playground should not be frog-marched to a police station.

The point I am making is that all some people have is photography, it is the only thing they feel they can acheive anything from, it is the only thing they are known for and the only way to express themselves. At this rate the entire population of photographers are going to be stuck with photographs of landscapes & macros of flowers; which are all lovely to look at but there are only so many pictures of sunflowers people can endure. It is getting to the point where is is very shady about whether we can take pictures in the capital, about taking pictures in a park or anywhere where people let alone children are present.

Not every bloke is a sex offender, infact about 95% of the British male population are decent human beings some of which who want to earn a little extra from photography because this fucking country makes us all pay taxes through the nose, so leave them alone.