Devin Allen – The amateur photographer capturing the story of the #BaltimoreRiots

From The BBC

An amateur photographer has been scooping the international media with his photographs from the front lines of protests and riots in Baltimore.

The death of a black man fatally injured in police custody has sparked bothpeaceful protests and violent riots in Baltimore. Twenty-five-year-old Freddie Gray died on 19 April – there’s more about what we know of his case here. The disturbances prompted the governor of the state of Maryland to declare a state of emergency in the city. A week-long curfew has been announced and as many as 5,000 National Guard troops could be deployed.

Hashtags such as #BaltimoreRiots and #BlackLivesMatter trended this week, but one of the most-shared pictures wasn’t taken by a local newspaper or by one of the legions of photojournalists based in Washington, just an hour away. Instead this photo by 26-year-old Baltimore native Devin Allen, has been retweeted more than 5,000 times:

‘I’m for the protesters but against the rioters,’ Allen says. Underneath this photo of a white protester he wrote: ‘He stood on the front lines with us and got pepper sprayed….a brother saw his pain and came to his aid with milk ::::: Deeper than skin and if you stand with us your my brother and or sister idc [I don’t care] what color you are’

See the rest of the BBC article here

Go here for Devin’s Instagram Page

7 Things to Keep in Mind When Doing Travel Photography

Our Travel Photography course is stuffed full of advice, ideas and ways of improving your holiday snaps, so just 7 seems a bit mean. However all advice can be taken and used or discarded and the 7 points made here are all points we make too.

When traveling there are things that are not in your control, especially if photography is one of the main reasons you are traveling. That doesn’t necessarily mean that there is nothing to be done. Here are 7 things to keep in mind when doing travel photography. See the magnificent 7 here

Here is the synopsis of our Travel Photography Course

We have re-written this course to concentrate on the practicalities and desires of photographic travellers. The course will help you to think about why you want to take pictures when you are on holiday and how you are going to get the very best out of each situation. Whether you are enjoying a weekend city-break, a cultural holiday, a couple of weeks at the beach or trekking in remote areas, travel offers some of the most exciting opportunities for taking great pictures.

This course aims to help you make the most of those opportunities. Subject areas covered include: how to photograph city scenes, landscapes, buildings, monuments, people and wildlife. We’ll look at great images by top photographers and consider practical advice to help you make pictures that stand out from the crowd and which capture the essence of your destination.

We will consider the practicalities of travelling with your camera: what sort of accessories you might want to take with you, tips on safety and keeping your equipment working properly together with the need to be sensitive to local cultures and laws.