Her first time on stage, Grace Nuechterlein (11), a small band concert photographer and videographer, captured the band Faux Fur’s drummer with her camera while dodging the dance moves of the guitarist, Oct. 25.
“The first time that I actually got up on the stage to take photos so I could get close-ups, I was actually in the scene of them playing music,” Nuechterlein said. “Sometimes I was scared that the guitarist was going to fling their guitar at me because they’re always moving, especially the ones who like to dance. Seeing everyone and being in the direct center of it made me feel [what] these bands probably feel, like, ‘oh my God, this is real.’ And ‘look at all these people,’ and it was just like, ‘wow.’ I get this priority of being in the direct center of that.”
What started as a fun hobby has turned into weekly excursions to backyard shows, where two, three, or sometimes more small bands ask her to photograph or videotape them performing. Her passion for concert videography and photography began in February when she spontaneously attended the band show of Your Mom’s Best Friend. 
“One of my friends was like, ‘Do you want to go to this show as a sidequest,’ and I always bring my digital camera when I go out, and I was taking pictures and videos [of the show] on it,” Nuechterlein said. “I was like, ‘wow, I like photographing this.’ These bands are so expressive because of how they perform. They’re not nonchalant. There’s always emotion in the photographs I take [of bands], and that’s why I liked it so much.”
After that, Nuechterlein began growing her platforms on Instagram and TikTok, filling them with concert edits and photos. She got her first paid photography gig from the band Bugstomp.
“[A band member] was like, ‘I really like your photos. Do you think you could take photos for our band?’” Nuechterlein said. “When I actually went there, I got to [photograph] the other bands that were performing. And then one of the bands that was performing asked me to come to one of their shows. I came to that, got paid for that, then I started just reaching out [to bands], or getting people to reach out to me.”
Nuechterlein has grown her business significantly since then, now shooting consistently for bands such as Faux Fur, Suntan, Dadlore, and Joywalk.
“Once you follow one band, they usually follow other bands because they all actually kind of know each other,” Nuechterlein said. “Before you know it, you’ve got like 600 bands that you’re following, and I usually have my stories on alert to see when their next show is.”
As her business has grown and she has acquired new camera equipment, Nuechterlein’s style in photography has changed over time. She originally only shot with a digital camera, but once she got a bigger camera, she was able to capture multiple mediums at concerts.
“I usually put my digital camera in a pocket and always have the camera on my neck,” Nuechterlein said. “I mainly shoot pictures on the big camera because obviously that will come out sharper, but videos, if they want more of a retro film kind of look, I will record on [the digital camera]. I also had a tendency to do landscape a lot, but as I progressed and got into it more, and actually being able to shoot for them [officially], meaning like I have a little bit more priority in where I can go, I now take very close-up shots and usually they’re now in portrait mode because you want to get the full body.”
Being a concert photographer and videographer has not only developed her technical skills and given her the opportunity to see live music, but it has also fostered connections and made her a part of the small band concert community.
“It’s so amazing how chillax the concert small band scene is,” Nuechterlein said. “Every time that I’ve gone to one of these, I never come out of it being like, ‘Oh my God, those people were jerks.’ It feels like there is a community, and they’re very respectful. Sure, there might be a little bit of moshing, and people will fall, but there is always somebody to pick you right back up. And I’ve made photography friends there. I’ve made friends with band members. I’ve made friends with fans, and honestly, it’s really a community in itself, and I very much appreciate that because that means we have a shared interest. Not many people know about the small band concert scene.”
