studio photos by CARRIE ALLEN, portrait by ARIEL PERRY PHOTOGRAPHY

Carrie Allen, a Charlotte-based photographer, has been capturing headshots and branding photos professionally for seven years. Her lifelong passion to meaningfully connect with people has paved the way for the growth — and the self-fulfillment — of her career thus far.

And while she’s been keeping busy with new and returning clients, she’s been working towards a new goal behind the scenes: opening a studio of her own. Her new studio — The Daylight Room — is the first of its kind in the Charlotte area.

“The new studio is a love letter to the greater Charlotte community — and especially the photography community,” shares Carrie. The Daylight Room opened for rentals starting in June, and Carrie says her primary goal for the studio is to anticipate the needs of clients and renters alike, so that any time spent in the studio — no matter what the project or occasion — can be focused on creating!

Here’s what you’ll find at The Daylight Room:

• The studio is a pristine all-white space, including white ceilings, white walls, and matte white epoxy floors.
• With 1288-square-feet of working space, it’s one big, beautiful room, brimming with possibility.
• The fully equipped space is optimized for both natural light and artificial lighting.
• All studio furniture and props are curated, minimalist, and modern.
• The location is safe, convenient, and easily accessible, plus there’s free on-site parking and the bonus of elevators for loading in and out.
• The Daylight Room will be community-focused, so activities will include photography events, workshops, and other exciting opportunities for local creatives and free-thinkers to meet together.
• You’ll find a wall-mounted remote-control system for 6-rolls of essential hues of 107-inch seamless paper backdrops, and a rolling double-riser for use with a range of colorful 53” seamless paper backdrops as well.
• Both monthly memberships and hourly rentals are available seven days a week.

To say The Daylight Room is a labor of love may be an understatement, as Carrie faithfully waited until the right moment to make her vision a reality — a vision that began with the origin of her business in 2016.

“I became a photographer organically,” she says. Back then, as a 23-year-old mother, she began her own business, never expecting how serendipitously her story would unfold — and how quickly her client list would grow!

“I’m in awe, to this day, that I get to do what I love on a daily basis!”

As a small business owner, Carrie understands the value of having a trusted place to share creative thoughts and ideas with like-minded peers in the creative industries. That’s why she hopes to make her new studio a gathering place for photographers to find inspiration, support one another, and see things from a fresh perspective. You can learn more about The Daylight Room at thedaylightroom.com.

Carrie also shoots countless features for LKN Magazine, and her artful images grace the pages of every issue! Visit Carrieallen.com for online scheduling of headshots or brand photos or reach Carrie by email at carrie@carrieallen.com. Her new studio, The Daylight Room, is located at 1800 Central Avenue, Suite 302, in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte, NC.