Good ways to conceal your film

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So I´m doing a documentary project on a certain reputable place in this world. The government do not want any kind of information about the place to get out, so I´m trying to think of clever ways to conceal/hide my films if stopped and questioned by police/security officials. The easiest way would be to do this digital, but my trustworthy Mamiya 7 is my preferred choice of equipment. Any suggestions, tips or advice would be much appreciated, especially from anyone of you who´ve been to such places or in similar situations 🙂

Cheers!
 
By properly concealing them (i.e. taping them to your inside leg), you look very guilty of something if caught. Probably better off putting them inside a box of food or something, you have plausible deniability that you always keep film there, and were not trying to hide it.
 
An old trick is sleight-of-hand. Unload the camera and give them the 'exposed' roll that you've just palmed and switched. But quite honestly, I think you're asking for trouble with a big camera like that. thegman's advice on how to look innocent is the best so far.

When I've been shooting where I shouldn't have been I've always found that the best approach is to behave as if I have every right to be there. Once I was stopped in a 'prohibited area' in South India, the local policeman asked my Tibetan 'minder' if I had permission to be there. He replied, "Of course he has, you bloody fool. D'you think he's be walking round with expensive cameras like that if he hadn't?" At least, that's the translation my minder gave me when the policeman had gone and he'd finished laughing.

In response to a similar question in the UK, a friend replied, "Well, I'd hardly be doing this if I hadn't, would I? Look, d'you mind holding this while I climb up here...?"

Worked both times.

Cheers,

R.
 
swallow the roll.
with a bit of practice and the right choice of drinks and food you should be able to develop and fix the stuff in your stomach before it leaves the system again...
 
aperture64 said:
How do you plan to conceal the Mamiya 7?
Click to expand...

In my back pack 😉 It´s open for tourists and bringing a camera into the country should not be a problem in itself as far as I know. The issue is who I´m photographing and why.

thegman said:
By properly concealing them (i.e. taping them to your inside leg), you look very guilty of something if caught. Probably better off putting them inside a box of food or something, you have plausible deniability that you always keep film there, and were not trying to hide it.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Good idea

Roger Hicks said:
An old trick is sleight-of-hand. Unload the camera and give them the 'exposed' roll that you've just palmed and switched. But quite honestly, I think you're asking for trouble with a big camera like that. thegman's advice on how to look innocent is the best so far.

When I've been shooting where I shouldn't have been I've always found that the best approach is to behave as if I have every right to be there. Once I was stopped in a 'prohibited area' in South India, the local policeman asked my Tibetan 'minder' if I had permission to be there. He replied, "Of course he has, you bloody fool. D'you think he's be walking round with expensive cameras like that if he hadn't?" At least, that's the translation my minder gave me when the policeman had gone and he'd finished laughing.

In response to a similar question in the UK, a friend replied, "Well, I'd hardly be doing this if I hadn't, would I? Look, d'you mind holding this while I climb up here...?"

Worked both times.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

I was thinking not to do too much street photography, to avoid the attention and suspicion it may lead to, but maybe you´re right about just being overtly obvious about it. Or at least save that bit until after I´ve done the portraits. As for my equipment, my other choice (Canon 5D) isn´t much smaller and discreet in seize. Thank you for the tip and advice though! I´m a first-timer when it comes to this kind of project, as you probably figured hehe
 
Interesting that Sparrow should mention Disneyland. A few years back, I was doing a travel story, which involved a family drive to Anaheim from Vancouver. I thought that it would be a good idea to shoot the minivan I used under the big Disneyland sign in the parking lot. I got set up (before the park opened) and was immediately beset by a security vehicle and a couple of officers who told me that I couldn't shoot the vehicle because it was a Dodge. Only GM vehicles could be shot with Disney backgrounds on their property - at least, at that time. I did as I was told, but snuck back later and got the shot anyway. I must add that I have had many dealings with Disney media relations staff over the years and they've always been outstandingly helpful, so I'm by no means complaining here. Rules are rules.
 
If you are photographing government buildings, the best thing to have on hand is an ACLU lawyer. Barring that, if you are really concerned about not losing your shots, I hate to say it, but your best bet is using a digital camera with an eye-fi card that is uploading your images via your smartphone to an offsite server on the fly.
 
Don't forget that the more you try to conceal the film, the more trouble you will be in when it is found.

How will you secure your exposed film? How will you get it out of the country? It might be handy to get each batch/day/bag/whatever sent out of the country as soon as possible, and separately, so that could get complicated in itself. If you have internet access, research ways of making your files not look like pictures (and then don't use film of course). Can you develop your film yourself, each day, then send it out as negatives/transparencies?

It would be unwise to ask for advice from your embassy I suppose? How about local journalists or fixers?

If this is just a bit melodramatic, then you could always Google lightstalkers.
 
I can't help you on concealment and I would go with Roger's suggestion. Without the context it is difficult to advise further. Your mention of cameras being allowed in that country suggests a couple of countries to me. Anyway, in my home town when I want to get in somewhere, the trick is either a very good suit or just a plain white shirt, no tie and crucially, sleeves rolled up, and two pens in the pocket. In either of these uniforms I have found the killer additonal entrée card is a sheaf of A4 pages. People just assume you must have legitimate business through the next door when you stride forward with those papers.

By extension then, and following the advice above of always having plausible deniability of concealment, which is very important, I would put the films in a plastic container with a mailing address, local, but no stamps yet, all inside a plastic bag, making it look like that is how it was handed to you and you have no business with its contents and neither does anyone else.
 
If you aren't concealing the camera, then why conceal the film? It's not as if they can see what's on it and delete it. Maybe I'm confused. If it's the exposed film you're trying to conceal on your way out of the country, maybe try mailing it to yourself?
 
... or deception. Put a fake LCD on the back of the Mamiya 7 and a fake "zeroize" button. Then say "yes, sir" and zeroize the camera when caught.
 
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