Allen Palmer takes crisp photographs of the people and places in his native New York City. Many of New York’s distinctive neighborhoods are represented in Palmer’s work, the images frequently cropped tightly to take pleasure in the often-overlooked details of life in the bustling city. Reflections, repetition of forms and lone protagonists can be found throughout his oeuvre. Depending on the particular piece, a viewer may feel like an outsider looking at the proceedings of an unfamiliar world or a voyeur peering into the personal reveries of an urban dweller. Palmer’s large-scale prints and adept technical abilities leave no detail behind. "Each person is a part of the gritty sculpture of empty streets and aging structures," he states. "Their private lives have converged with the sidewalks and other public spaces."

Palmer’s photographs have been exhibited frequently throughout the United States and he currently resides in Newton, Massachusetts.