Video surveillance cameras are popping up everywhere from street corners to supermarkets to home property. The key to using them is to place them where they can't easily be seen or they can't easily be accessed. Using these two concepts together will provide adequate surveillance of whatever area you need to protect.
Outside
People are far more likely to do things they shouldn't be doing, such as breaking into your house, if they don't think anyone is watching. For this reason, you need to place video cameras at locations not easily seen, yet that cover a wide range. For example, if you want to place a camera under the eaves, it's best to place it where it is in deep shadow at night and preferably during the day as well. Another good location is high up in a big tree. Be careful not to have the lens covered by leaves. With this camera facing the building, it is unlikely a potential burglar will see it or be able to do anything about it if he does.
Inside
While having a surveillance camera in a corner facing out into a room will give you wide coverage, it also may be obvious to someone breaking in. A less obvious location will be more covert. For example, if you have a high bookcase with knick knacks or other items on the top shelf, and you can angle the camera to cover the room, this will be less obvious. Of course, if the items near the camera are valuable, the thief may want them and while retrieving them, see the camera. You also can use the webcam sitting on top of your computer or, for Apple Macintosh computers, built-in, to capture anyone trespassing.
Built-in
Another idea, for inside or outside, is built-in cameras. If you have the room, you can build shelves inside walls, set the cameras on them, then cover all but the lenses. One possibility here, if your walls have paneling or hard wood, is to use natural knots in the wood to cover them. In low light, such as a thief's flashlight, it is highly unlikely anyone will notice built-in cameras.
Tags: built-in cameras, easily seen, less obvious, they easily
