Onstage, backstage, within the pit, regardless of the place he’s: he’s going to get the shot. It’s the shot that makes you ask, “Did God himself descend from heaven with a Nikon d7000 to snap this picture?”

Nope. It’s a child from New Orleans with the most effective untrained eye you’ve ever seen: taking each probability, leaping each fence, hitting each pavement to get the proper shot.

Nathan Schweitzer, a younger and proficient photographer, has been capturing bands for about seven years, since he was a freshman in highschool. What began as a private curiosity set off his profession as bands proceed to hunt him out for rent.

At his previous age of 21, he’s been in a position to see bands and achieve expertise throughout America—anyplace from Chicago to Charlotte to Big Bend National Park. His favourite view? Backstage.

“I love shooting for bands. Why? That’s a dumb question. My camera is always on me no matter what. So, I get to do what I always do, no matter what, at a concert with my friends and free beer? Yeah, dumb question. It’s just the best gig. I’m very lucky,” Schweitzer mentioned.

He was fortunate sufficient to get a gig at French Quarter Festival with a band known as Zita, a New Orleans-based rock-and-blues band.

Pre-show ritual for Zita is an effective dangle. French Quarter fest is not any exception. As Schweitzer and the band sit round ready for the rain to settle earlier than they go on, they go round heat IPAs and a carton of cigarettes.

The lead singer-trombone connoisseur was attempting to good a Louis Armstrong track backward, which he did. They all cheered. Schweitzer took an image.

Once the rain stopped, it was go-time for Zita. The 4 guys filed into the inexperienced room (a tent with 4 hangers) and started to vary into velvet fits and tight denims.

Schweitzer hung across the stage getting an concept of what pictures he wished, saying he likes to have a pair pictures in thoughts and let the remainder be documentation. It comes simple to him.

When Zita began to play, folks started flocking to the sound. This was Schweitzer’s go time.

If you suppose you’re going to speak to Schweitzer throughout a present, you’re lifeless improper. From the primary riff-rip of the guitar, thump of drum, the deep hum of the bass, and a screech of the lead singer, he’s off.

“I move a lot,” he mentioned. “I think more than other photographers. I bounce between side stage, on stage, pit, audience, drum kit, rafters, high, low, drunk and sober throughout the night. It keeps me vigilant.”

He may very well be seen all through the present operating across the Jack Daniels stage, by the viewers, below the drum package, busting his again on the rain-slicked stairs operating full velocity, and getting proper again as much as get to entrance stage.

It’s moments like these when the fervour pays off.

“Nathan is a very hard worker and he’s reliable, moving all around to get the shots,” Brendan O’Connell, supervisor for 70’s-inspired piano rock grasp Neal Francis, mentioned. O’Connell employed and labored with Schweitzer at JazzFest this 12 months, the place the younger photographer freelanced for Francis.

“I could tell the shots would be great (and they were),” O’Connell says.

So, how did Schweitzer find yourself behind the Jack Daniels stage at French Quarter Fest with Zita, top-of-the-line up-and-coming New Orleans rock-and-blues bands right this moment? Well, the identical means he received his begin.

He received his first digital camera when he was about 14 years previous. Both of his dad and mom and half of his mates had been musicians, so he thought he’d begin capturing units, reveals and unusual characters in between.

He started his profession in the best way many younger entrepreneurs do: mendacity. Schweitzer, understanding his age was labored in opposition to him, made pretend press passes, snuck into occasions and instructed all of the set safety he’s with the band whereas holding up his digital camera (and praying).

“The short story is I snuck into an Aerosmith concert and met the right people. Dr. John never got it right, but me, I was in the right place at the right time,” Schweitzer mentioned.

Zita is a four-piece act finest recognized to impress a stage, together with parts from rock, blues, and jazz to create a genius musical hybrid.

Schweitzer met the Zita guys by whole accident, capturing a post-pandemic pageant. The lead singer of an eight-piece funk band employed him on the guitarist’s good phrase.

“I had a great shot in mind for the drummer, so I walked right up to the buffest, douchiest looking guy I could find,” Schweitzer mentioned.

Michael Mullins, the present lead singer of Zita, was that man, wearing “aviators on an overcast day, gemstone rings and a shirt two sizes too small,” Schweitzer mentioned.

Mullins occurred to see Schweitzer’s work and requested if he might shoot a music video for his band, Zita. He replied, “Of course, man! I’ll be there!”

Nathan Schweitzer had by no means shot video work.

With the assistance of YouTube and recommendation from his video-shooting buddies, the video, fortunately, turned out nice. “After the final scene, we all shot pool and listened to the blues while getting to know each other. Ever since that day, I’ve been Zita’s guy.”

Even throughout practices, Schweitzer is snapping photos, understanding the worth the images carry to the band.

Schweitzer’s previous buddy, Brandon Gallego, is a musician and photographer. He was searching for one thing to maintain him busy by school, and it became a ardour.

“I can capture the moments that many people experience of them. It lets them relive the moment again and again,” Gallego mentioned.

Gallego and Schweitzer are constantly searching for higher pictures, understanding the images’ worth. According to Schweitzer, Zita makes it simple.

“It’s not just me, they make everyone feel like a rockstar,” Schweitzer mentioned. The band share the identical feeling about Schweitzer.

“Nathan is he is like a fifth member of the band,” Mullins mentioned. “He gets us, knows when we need a pick-me-up, knows when we maybe need to be knocked down a peg. He shares the same vision for the band that we do and he portrays that vision through his work.”