New players to World of Tanks almost always rage about getting shot by "invisible tanks!" I did it too before I understood how spotting mechanics worked. Want to be invisible when you shoot? You can be!
Concealment
Every tank has a concealment or camo value which is based on the tank, any camouflage (exterior styles) you may have applied to the tank, crew skills, directives, consumables, whether you're moving or not, and whether you're shooting or not.
Shooting, in particular, tends to significantly reduce your camo and get you spotted. Nobody knows this better than the SkorpG drivers who lose so much camo when they fire that players on other maps can spot them.
So, what can you do to shoot more safely?
Use the bushes.
Bushes have different camo values depending upon the bush and how close to it you are. Just sitting in the bush adds some camo, but if you fire your gun the benefit of the bush all but vanishes.
To use the bushes when you fire, you need to be BEHIND the bush, not in the bush., And...you need to be at least 15m behind the bush. How can you tell when you're 15m behind the bush? The bush will turn opaque - so you can't see through it.
I often see people make this mistake - they're sitting IN a bush and fire, then get spotted and wonder why. If you can see thru the bush...you can be seen thru the bush when you shoot. Back up until the bush is opaque for safety.
First exercise - Pull back
Next time you're in a battle and you're in, or just behind, a bush so that you can see through that bush and you see a target you want to shoot at, back up until the bush goes opaque. You'll still be able to see the enemy tank outline (for several seconds after it's no longer spotted) so you can still shoot.
When you do that enemy you just shot won't be able to see you, unless they're quite close to the bush themselves.
Caution: The tank you're shooting is usually not the only tank on the battlefield. Just because THAT tank can't shoot you, if there is an enemy tank off at an angle where there aren't any bushes between you and them, THAT tank may still be able to spot you.
Second exercise - Nesting
Sometimes you can make your own bushes for cover by knocking over trees and other foliage. This is called "Nesting" (you're making a nest to sit in). Next time you've taken a position in battle where there is a tree next to you, see if you can knock it down to create a useful bit of soft cover between you and enemies.
Caution: Be careful about knocking over trees. Arty players often look for trees getting knocked down (or that have obviously BEEN knocked down) and will blind fire those locations assuming that a tank is there. Likewise enemy tanks often blind fire where they see a tree go down.
Tip: When I knock over a tree, I'll often pull back or move off to the side a short ways for a couple of seconds, before pulling back into my "nest" in case somebody spots the tree go down and blind fires it.
Helpful video on concealment
Good players use those bushes, and sometimes make their own by knocking over trees, to increase their concealment and allow them to deal damage more stealthily.
This workshop is from my article: Five more things good players do more often than average players. Check that article for more tips and workshops.
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