How do all of you guys go about taking pictures or videos? I pretty much cruise the mall and I'm an outside salesman, so I'm always dressed well. I tend to act as though I'm on my cell phone when standing close to someone shoeplaying and then casually acting like I'm playing with the phone and try and snap a picture.
Sometimes I'll go into the downtown area during lunch hour and then I can actually bring a digital camers and possibly get some video. The camera in no way looks good in the mall or bookstore (another place I go at lunch to catch those dippers)
I did the 95% of my candids by vidcam and all at trade shows. I never have hidden it. I am just filming with open LCD monitor, the cam in my hand stretched down. When I spot a target, I start to film her with my hand down but looking down to the LCD display to have the right position. This way they dont really suppose that the cam is working. In the meantime I am pretending to talk with somebody on the phone, or writing sms with other hand.
I never used phone for capping, as mine is crap for it. But I have some pics made with photocam (the park candids for eg.). In these occasions I was pretending to make a photo in other direction, and then suddenly I just shot a photo of the target. Or simply just wait seconds for the moment when the target is not looking at me.
So I never hide my tools, just making tricks not to be obvious.