When I was in middle school, I got my first point-and-shoot -- a little red Casio camera that I carried with me everywhere. I moved onto my first DSLR when I was a freshman in high school. It was a Nikon my parents got me for Christmas, and I have stuck with Nikon ever since. I always enjoyed taking pictures of friends, family and nature since I have owned a camera. I was on yearbook staff throughout school, and my name became synonymous with "that girl with the camera." In 2008, I started photographing live music.

I used to shoot local shows at the fairgrounds and coffee shops in my home town of Brenham, Texas, starting when I was about 14 years old. When I moved to Austin in 2012 to attend UT, I started shooting shows in small venues like Kick Butt Coffee for bands from my home town that were expanding into other cities. A big breakthrough came for me in 2013 when I decided to reach out to Come and Take It Productions, an Austin company who puts on shows with big name metal and alternative artists. Those first Come and Take It shows gave me the opportunity to introduce myself to the Austin scene and meet some really wonderful artists and other music fans.

I love alternative punk bands like Bayside, Balance and Composure, I Am the Avalanche, Alkaline Trio, and Citizen. Those are my top 5. But as far as photography is concerned, metal is hands down my favorite genre to shoot. From crazy outfits and make up to artists covered in fake (sometimes real!) blood, you never know what you will see up on the stage at a metal show. It's also hard to beat their angry, moshing crowds -- one of my favorite things to capture in my live music photos.

My philosophy is all about capturing the right expressions and giving you the most options possible. Most shoots are post-processed within a couple days and delivered to you via your choice of flash drive or Dropbox/Google Drive.

Feel free to ask me anything! Shoot me an email at shelby@shelbyshootsstuff.com.