RML said:
Just be there and shoot. People will notice you but soon will accept you as part of the "furniture". Stealth and secrecy don't go well with most people when they "catch" you.
I agree. I also do not like feeling 'sneaky' like I should not be there or should not be doing what I am doing.
Fortunately, people have a built-in defense mechanism that allows them to cope with crowds and lack of personal space that big city living brings. They shutter out as much as they can - they just don't 'see' a lot of what is happening - they subconsciously filter it out, and only react to things that are dangerous or unusual enough to draw their attention.
For me it is a mental attitude. I am there to do work. I am working. People do not bother (or notice) a person at work.
Clearly, that also means low-profile so as not to attract undue attention. As others have said - fixed-lens rangefinder with a leaf shutter (I'd say TLR, but these days I think they are outlandish-enough to attract attention on their own). You can zone-focus if you have enough light for reasonable DOF at the distances you'll be working, which reduces the amount of time you are aimed at one person or group or event.
I am also ready with a smile and a nod if anyone looks up and notices me. Again, not a nod of apology or 'oops you caught me' guilty expression but rather a friendly 'hi there; just doing my job, thanks' and move on.
Whatever happens, I try not to break my concentration or my 'work mentality'. Just keep working.
If I were walking down a city street talking on a cell phone, everyone would ignore me. I'm blending in. If I had a worker's uniform on and was pushing a broom, same thing. When I have a camera with me, it's out and visible. I'm *doing something* and I become invisible. I'm not a threat, I'm not out of the ordinary, I don't break through people's conciousness. At least, I try not to.
It's a form of camoflage, if you will. I find it more effective than trying to hide or disguise what I am doing.
A study was done a number of years ago, as I recall, about public awareness. Students dressed as panhandlers begged for change in a public street in a major city. Another group asked for a specific amount, without saying what it was for. The group that asked for a specific amount got double what the group just asking for money got - and usually they got more than the specific amount they asked for. The summary conclusion was that by asking for a specific amount, the students in the second group broke through the 'wall' that people put up when they are out in public that allows them to deal with crowds and lack of personal space. The group that just asked for money didn't get many people's attention - they were 'invisible' to most.
So be invisible.
