Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Schulz
Shelby, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I really started getting into photography when I bought my first camera in the summer of 2023. My first couple cameras were film cameras and in 2024 I bought my first digital camera. Up until that point I’d never owned a camera but I would use my parent’s point and shoot as well as my phone to take pictures on vacations. I always loved visiting National Parks so I thought I would want to get into landscape photography.
In February of 2022, I got together with some friends to form a band. In 2023 and 2024 we played a lot of shows, so naturally I would bring my camera along to take pictures for our social media. So I found myself mostly taking concert photos, and the more I practiced taking photos and editing them, the better I got. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to photography, but I feel like I’ve really grown in the past couple years.
I moved to Austin from Kansas City, MO in October of 2024 with my bandmates. The band was the main reason for moving, other than the fact that we all had grown up in Missouri and wanted to go somewhere new. We’d heard that Austin is big on live music and a good place for bands trying to promote their own original music. Our band is called Talking Backwards. I am the vocalist and bassist for our band and I also play violin on some of the studio versions of our songs. Violin was my first instrument – I started when I was about 4 years old and played in orchestras as well as other various groups outside of school all the way through college. I met my bandmates in college as we were all in marching percussion together. We are a 3-piece Indie Rock band and are looking to grow our audience now that we are here in Austin. We already have an EP and an album out on all streaming platforms, and will be releasing another album in the next few months.
After the move I have spent even more time taking photos. I’ve gone to several concerts in Austin and taken pictures of many local bands. I have also participated in SM Photo Friends, a photography group that meets in San Marcos, TX. While most of my pictures are of concerts, I enjoy taking pictures of pretty much everything.
Currently, I work as a flight instructor as I went to the University of Central Missouri for aviation and also minored in music. However, I would love to turn my passion for photography into my own small business one day. My bandmates and I are also hoping we will gain enough of a following to start going on more tours and play larger venues.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I feel that the biggest struggle for me as a photographer is getting myself out there. I recently have started trying to post photos more often and in multiple places. However I’m definitely struggling with trying to figure out how to get my work out there to more people as well as let them know that I am more than willing to be a photographer for hire.
In terms of my band, our biggest struggle is having to do everything ourselves. We book shows ourselves, create and order our own merchandise, run our social media (which is what I primarily do), as we do not have any management. We also have yet to find a label. These are some things we are really hoping to find here in Austin.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a professional musician and a photographer.
I am in an Indie Rock band called Talking Backwards born in KC, MO but now based in Austin, TX. I feel we are a unique band that creates unique music. We also don’t necessarily stick to one single genre, as we take influences from genres such as math rock, folk, shoegaze and jazz to create our own sound. We have been a band for 3 years, and in that time have won the American Royal BBQ Battle of the Bands at Kansas Speedway, gone on a tour in Colorado, recorded an EP and 2 albums, and been on the radio several times. We all put everything we have into our music, which makes me incredibly proud of what we’ve created, especially with our album. I feel like we really started to find our sound as we were recording our first album.
In terms of photography, my specialty is definitely concert photos. However, I also enjoy taking pictures of nature, vehicles (especially airplanes), animals, and pretty much anything else I think looks interesting in the moment. I am proud of a lot of my more recent photos, especially the ones I’ve taken so far this year, as I feel I can see a visible improvement from some of the photos I took especially early last year. Also, my band has used photos I’ve taken for most of our single and album artwork, so I am very proud of those as well, as I enjoy being able to contribute to my band beyond the music.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My bandmates definitely deserve a lot of credit as they have played a HUGE role in our success as a band as well as my abilities in photography. My bandmates’ names are Coleman Arnold and Shawn Shoemaker. Coleman is the one who had the idea to start the band, and both of them had been in bands together in the past. They both are incredibly talented at their instruments (Coleman plays guitar, Shawn plays drums), and extremely dedicated to our music. We all take a lot of time out of our weeks to practice and go to open mics and concerts to network and meet other local musicians. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know that I ever would’ve had the courage to try and be in a band or even sing in front of an audience. Without them I wouldn’t have had such a good excuse to practice my photography. Without them I highly doubt I’d be in Austin chasing my dreams right now.
My parents have also always supported me in my creative endeavors, as well as my closest friend Bethany Cutkomp (who is very creative herself, she is working towards her goal of publishing a novel!), and another friend I met in KC, Katelynn Kilburg. Katelynn is just as passionate about photography as I am, and she went to almost all of my band’s shows in KC and took photos of us performing!
Finally Rodd Fenton of Solstice Audio in KC also deserves a shout out for doing such a fantastic job of recording, mixing and mastering our albums! He runs his own studio out of his house and just recently decided to do that full time!
Contact Info:
- Website: Photography Website: https://photosbyshelbyrae.myportfolio.com/ Band Website: https://www.talkingbackwardsband.com/
- Instagram: Photography: https://www.instagram.com/shelbyraeschulz/ Band: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbackwardsband/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shelbyraeschulz
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ahdjOI3hJLFrAQ37tVjaB?si=xpB9dOdLQMuMqWckJ5cueQ
Image Credits
photo of band taken by: Paper Anchor Media
personal photo taken by: Blane Worley
