Share your secrets for being "invisible"

[Marc-A.]

my 3 rules:
1) don't try to be sneaky
2) be prepared by setting exposure and focus before pointing the camera at anyone
3) display a confident and friendly atittude. Act like you are working and "supposed" to be taking pictures. Smile nod a thankyou if you are noticed. Move on purposefully.

I totally agree.
But I don't think there is a recipe for being invisible ; knowing some rules won't help you at all. Applying those rules is only a matter of experience.
For instance, I'm very shy with a camera in the street; I don't want to trouble people; don't want to look like a pervert or voyeur or ninja ... etc. BUT I feel more and more confortable day after day, just because I know a bit more how people react in front of a camera; I know also how to behave with a camera. Practise, test, learn ...just feel it 🙂 There's no recipe.
Marc

PS: about invisibility, I suspect that :angel:s spend their time shooting us with a silent Leica Ma ... and we never notice them.

 

[Marc-A.]

This may be of some help..

I've been taking a lot of photographs of listed (heritage) buildings and objects here in London for the English Heritage 'Images of England' project. The easiest way I found to be invisble is to wear a bright (orange) fluorescent vest - mine has 'English Heritage' stamped on it as I'm an employee as well as a volunteer photographer. I was using an ancient Nikon SLR with a motor-drive and a perspective control lens - noisy, bulky and unsubtle. No-body took any notice whatsoever - people looking official in fluorescent jackets doing vaguely technical things are such a part now of the UK urban landscape that no-one sees you other than someone not to bump into or run over. I could just as easily been taking pictures of people and general street life and if I wasn't using film specifically for the job in hand, probably would have too.

Regards

Andrew More

Excellent story. Can I have one of those jackets? No seriously, Can I?
Marc