Mckayla Heuer, a film student at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, has made her way from using her parent’s camcorder as a child to photographing local bands such as Pineapple Migraine and Pinegrove.
“I would climb the top shelf of my parents closet to grab their camcorder and then I would make short films with it and stuff like that,” said Heuer.
In 2015, Heuer photographed her first house show with a small lineup that included her friends’ band. She loved helping with promoting the show by posting flyers around town and spreading the word. She also helped organize the event space by making decorations and keeping the space open and clean.
“I was 16, didn’t really know anything about concert photography, so I shot them and sent all the photos to the bands, without even editing them,” said Heuer.
Now, Heuer uses multiple design platforms to edit her close-ups of the artists before showcasing them to the world. Her Instagram followers aren’t her only viewers; the bands she gets to photograph sometimes repost her work, showing her photos to their own audiences, and in turn, creating connections with other bands.
After starting her freshman year at UWM, Heuer had to make a name for herself in Milwaukee. Moving to a new city brings new friends, in which Heuer found she had to speak up in order to do what she wanted to do.
“Kind of, when I first got here, I didn’t know anybody, so I was just kinda like floundering,” said Heuer.
She admits finding a place she felt comfortable in was difficult.
Heuer relayed that she wanted to get back into concert photography but didn’t know how to get involved in a new city. In 2018, she went to see “The Oxleys,” a Milwaukee-based folk group, at a local café and shot some photos of the band, not knowing what was about to come next.
After the show, a member of the band invited Heuer to come to shoot his other band at a local house show, which would eventually open up many doors for Heuer.
With the extra help of the film department at UWM, Heuer has access to an abundance of camera equipment she may need for
Heuer currently promotes shows and displays her work through Instagram and Facebook, and also freelancing for a Milwaukee-based music blog called “Breaking and Entering.” Through the blog, Heuer is able to get permission for photo passes at concerts in the area, which she then posts updates to the website with her work. Heuer hopes to make her own website before summer begins.
“I like to focus on the artist kind of just in their element as individuals. And it’s kind of my favorite thing to do. They’re in a moment when they’re playing and just capturing that is something really special to me. I’m good at seeing their emotions and it’s something that I learned over time how to do and
Surrounding herself with bright colors, friends and her camera in hand, Heuer feels calm and happy in these environments.
Not only does Heuer take photos of the bands
Heuer
With music on your mind, you can find shows to attend through her Instagram, @mkheuer, or through the events page on Facebook. Most of the local house shows Heuer photographs have free concerts, open to anybody who is interested, usually on weekends.