Why I can't be like Aquavite, Hogeye, etc
 

These are my attepmt to shoot uppie. I am not really good at it. I appreciate those who shoot high quality pics. At least, I tried and knew what it like to be a good shooter.

And rest of my attempt
 

This failed attepmt reminded me when I could not play football in high school. Uppie shooting is not for everybody.

It's a good start. Keep shooting.

Keep at it. It's the same theory as with salesmen, you start off life earning only a small figure then as time goes by it gets bigger and bigger on its own. In reality it's your experience which improves.

You should have seen my early attempts! Not only that, my hands had a habit of shaking at the wrong moment. My problem now is opportunities. Half the time my wife is standing next to me, and the other half it's cold and rain with only trousers about.

Don't forget, practice makes perfect. After a while you'll even be able to anticipate a good shot in advance.

The first thing you need to do is to understand and accept the risk. Is it worth the possibility of jail and a criminal record regardless of how careful you are?

IF you accept the risk, you need the right equipment. You can't do decent sitting uppies with a cell phone cam. Even Andy couldn't do decent shooting with a cell phone. And the shitty results don't justify the risks.

You need something with a (physical) zoom lens. RTFM and learn how to use it in shutter or exposure priority modes and various metering options and learn how to adjust exposure to conditions. If you want to shoot from the hip, practice a couple of thousand times on regular day-to-day inanimate objects until you can point the thing with precision and get the exposure right.

Just so you understand what's required for really good pictures, Andy and the others on the site that cannot be mentioned here use full-sized DSLRs with full size accessory flashes and shoot through the viewfinder.

Another thing you can do is find someone to go out with you. Someone who knows what you're doing and will help by standing in exactly the right position playing the fool while you take pictures of them. One guy in the park with a camera is a pervert. Two guys in a park with a camera are a couple of slightly strange tourists. A guy and a girl in a park with a camera are perfectly normal and don't get second looks.

Also remember that you're much, much more likely to be busted by a bystander, not one of your subjects so pay appropriate attention to everyone around you.

well said

I second that - also do not linger in one spot to long you become very obvious and take notice.
I like tourist areas because you can blend in but always remember know your surroundings Good luck and Happy hunting

I second everything but you don't need sophisticated gear to start off. I use a Canon digital IXUS9515. It's only 9x5x1.5 cms, slips into my pocket and can be held without looking like a camera in one hand. I noticed at one wedding that my shots were a lot better quality than the pro photographer with all his expensive gear.

Rubber is dead right about the bystanders too, especially the women. I even had one shouting at me once!

LOL.....an old guy says to me once,"why dont you and your F--ing camera get the F--- out of here"....meanwhile he was getting an eyeful and wanted to absorb it all by himself,I even caught him in one of my shots....lol.

Once somebody asked Arnold Palmer how come he was so good at golf. He replied, "It's luck, and the more I practice, the luckier I get."