14 DAY TRIAL // Recent events taking place in Baltimore made headlines worldwide and everything related to them was bound to become a hot issue. For amateur photographer Devin Allen, it was a way to make use of his talent and get some recognition for it.
The 26-year-old lives in Baltimore and has been into street photography for quite some time, so when he heard about the unjust death of one of his fellow citizens, he thought that under no circumstances would he leave that subject uncovered, The Time reports.
Determined to contribute to the delivery of justice, he armed himself with the only weapon he knew how to use, his camera, and began his own campaign in support of Freddie Gray, the young man who died in suspicious circumstances.
It did not take long for the photos he posted on Instagram to become viral as people soon took notice of his ability to capture exactly what was going on and provide accurate pictures of the event.
He hit fame in less than a day
Publications soon started using the young photographer’s images for their own coverage of the event. His Instagram account now has an extensive collection of black and white photos from the protests, as he attempts to give the world a clear picture of the city he lives in, including its good side, as well as its rather unpleasant one.
"I have some people saying, why are you showing the bad things? But it's my goal to show everything, only then will people really understand what's going on," said the young artist for The Time.
Several cases of photographers or journalists trying to cover the Baltimore protests who were assaulted by the police or by those protesting have been reported so far, and given his recently gained fame, Allen could become an easy target. However, he is not afraid to do what he likes best, which is taking photographs, and fight for freedom and equality at the same time and in his own way.
Even celebrities were quick to notice his talent, and Rihanna even shared one of the pictures taken during the protests, contributing to spreading the message and helping the amateur photographer increase his fan base.
With more than 27k Instagram followers, Allen offers a better insight of the violent riots, garnering attention from renowned names of the industry such as Gordon Parks or Andy Warhol.
