Occupation: Photographer
Age: 31
E-Mail address: photos@carriedavenport.com
Place of Birth: Belfast
Where you live: Belfast
First Job: Barmaid in the Europa
What it taught me: I started working in the Europa when I was 16. First off I was a waitress then when I turned 18 I started in the functions bar. It was a brilliant place to work, full of fantastic people and some real characters. I think it taught me a lot about working with people, I can still make conversation with pretty much everyone. It also built up my tolerance to late nights and lack of sleep which has stood me well for all the late nights I get working at gigs and festivals
Family/Status: Single
Best advice anyone ever gave you: The best advice I was ever given was to take a risk, leave a job I really didn’t enjoy and try to make it working for myself. It was a scary prospect at the time, leaving a well paid job to go freelance with no guarantees but it’s the single best decision I have ever made. It’s been over five years since I made that choice now and I’ve loved every minute of it
Best advice you could give someone starting out: When you’re starting out in photography the best thing you can do is try everything. It’s important to get a good portfolio and trying different things allows you to see what area you enjoy most. I actually started off studying fine art photography but when I started photographing gigs I found my real passion was for music photography. Having a bit of variety means you never get bored and it also means you can turn your hand to different skills
Already a well established photographer for the Irish music scene, Carrie is also a talented commercial, fashion and wedding photographer. Clients include Kerrang! magazine, Hot Press, PR companies, local businesses, musicians and, of course, happy couples on their wedding days. Alongside her work as a photographer, Carrie is also a qualified community tutor. Through this she works with a range of local charities, youth organisations and community groups. She recently had the pleasure of working with The Skyway Club, based at Ballynafeigh Community Development Centre. Together they created a murder mystery themed exhibition featuring members of the group photographed by Carrie. This was displayed to raise awareness of the charity at Culture Night 2011.
Carrie’s music photography has appeared in several group exhibitions as well as two solo shows, the latest as part of Belfast Music Week 2011. Held in the Ulster Hall, it featured international acts such as Kiss and Pulp alongside the very best of local talent. More of Carrie’s local music work can be seen on display in the Oh Yeah music centre as she continues to work proudly within the local music scene.
