Charlotte photographer uses walking tours to foster community at The Light Factory
Charlotte native Carey King uses photography as a form of therapy. When faced with adversity, he’s turned to photographing everyday things.
When his granddad passed away when King was a teen, and later when King was addicted to opiates, he said photography helped him sort through his thoughts.
Photography offers King a freedom he didn’t have growing up in a strict religious household. He captures angles of buildings and people with his camera lens. When he can’t sleep, he explores neighborhoods, taking photos of everything.
“I have a constant habit of looking up,” said King, 29. “At the time, I was feeling small and unseen and coming from a religious background where it’s don’t talk back, don’t ask questions. With photography I can say what I want to say. You can’t silence that.”
Last summer, King joined The Light Factory Photo Arts Center, a nonprofit photography collective in Plaza Midwood, as the director of community engagement.
As part of the job, he leads monthly photo walks where he teaches participants how to take good photographs as they walk through Charlotte neighborhoods or parks. The next photo walk is 1-3 p.m. June 13 at McAlpine Creek Park.
The “Community Works” exhibit is an extension of the photo walks. It runs from June 4 through Aug. 19. It’s free and will feature images taken by the community during the photo walks.
Participants are welcome to print their images in the lab and hang them at The Light Factory. Watercolors will also be available for visitors to make cyanotypes, a photography printing technique. A special outdoor event connected to “Community Works,” with live music and other activities, will be announced on the Light Factory website.
Engaging the community
Even before King held an official position as community engager, he was coordinating community photo walks in Charlotte.
His walks through neighborhoods and his experience with a photography app gave him the idea. Three years ago, on his birthday, a large crowd joined him in uptown Charlotte for the first photo walk. He later partnered with BLKMRKT for other photo walks in Camp North End.
“The main goal is to get people talking to each other — get ideas bouncing,” King said. “It’s a mixer of sorts with the activity of going out and taking pictures.”
With its 50-year anniversary approaching in 2023, The Light Factory’s board developed a new mission and vision promoting a focus on community, conversations and a collective where photographers can collaborate. A new website was launched, and “Photo Arts Center” was added to the name.
Hiring King as director of community engagement fit with the organization’s goal to engage more of the Charlotte community.
“It just kind of felt right,” said Kay Tuttle, executive director of The Light Factory. “He is quiet, but he makes things happen. And he’s so connected with the creative community in Charlotte. We’ve met so many people through Carey.”
‘They want to feel included’
The first thing King did after accepting the position was talk to people to see what they wanted from the organization. He asked people what would make them interested in coming to The Light Factory.
“People want to see themselves,” he said. “People want to see more stories that they relate to. They want to see their neighborhoods. They want to feel included.”
King started a community engagement committee, the first of its kind for The Light Factory. Local artist and curator Janelle Dunlap is one of five members on the committee.
Members meet monthly to brainstorm ideas and organize events that attract new members. Dunlap isn’t new to The Light Factory, though. She’d taken a black and white photography class in 2018.
She noticed then that she was the youngest person in the class and the only person of color.
“When I saw that Carey had acquired this position, it made me think about that transformative change that is so pivotal, and often it takes one person for an entire community to have access to a space,” Dunlap said. “Not just physical access, but the feeling of being welcomed into a space. And that feeling that they belong.”
Photo walk
What: Bring a camera phone, point and shoot or digital camera for a community Photo Walk with Carey King. The group meets for conversation and photography.
When: June 13, 1-3 p.m.
Where: McAlpine Creek Park
Cost: Free. Registration is required, and a $5 donation is encouraged.
Details: https://lightfactory.org/community-photo-walks/
More arts coverage
Want to see more stories like this? You can join our Facebook group, “Inside Charlotte Arts,” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/insidecharlottearts/