KATSEYE and One Direction photographer Rahull Bhatt shares unseen images of his life on tour
"Seeing KATSEYE's reaction to the crowd singing along to every song was so special."
We are currently in an era where artists’ public images are tightly controlled. The humble tour photographer can often still offer a rare glimpse of more personal and unfiltered sides of an artist, quietly observing and snapping away from the corner of dressing rooms and the side of arena and stadium stages, seconds before a musician goes out to face the world. It’s a rare moment of vulnerability- a heady mix of nervousness, excitement, preparedness and determination.
Rahull Bhatt, who is currently working with global girl group KATSEYE, traverses the globe photographing these moments. He began working in the bright-bulbed, glittery universe that was X-Factor, at a time when it produced two of the biggest pop groups in the world. Bhatt talks to us about life on tour and his journey, as well as sharing exclusive imagery from his archive that chronicle both milestone and quieter moments of artists such as One Direction and Little Mix.
What was the first gig you ever attended? Do you remember it? Did you take any photos at it?
I was born in Tanzania and migrated to Leicester in the UK, so growing up I didn’t really go to a lot of concerts. It was after I moved to London for University that I started to really enjoy going to concerts and my first gig was Wireless Festival where Rihanna performed. I remember taking photos on my phone, they were pretty blurry and not professional in any capacity but I was definitely inspired.
What was the first gig that you photographed? How did you feel doing it?
I worked in the publicity department at a record label and tv company in the UK, Syco Entertainment, but I always loved being creative and capturing content. I would take photos of artists as well as contestants that would come to The X Factor every weekend which meant I had access to the biggest artists. I would also shoot a lot of Syco’s artists and naturally the first gig I shot was an artist signed to the label, James Arthur. After shooting his shows a few times, I got the hang of it and really enjoyed taking photos and was given the opportunity to shoot all of Syco’s artists at that time. This included One Direction, Little Mix, and Fifth Harmony, as well as Labrinth, Susan Boyle, and Leona Lewis.
You have photographed some huge tours and artists. Do you have a favourite memory from any in particular? If so, why?
Camila Cabello’s Never Be The Same tour has to be my favorite memory of touring so far. We travelled all around the world but Mexico was definitely one of the most memorable. Camila creates such an amazing bubble around the staff and crew and being in her hometown was extra special.
Another memory has to be KATSEYE’s recent tour The Beautiful Chaos Tour. Witnessing how nervous they were moments before hitting the stage on their first show to seeing their reaction to the crowd singing along to every song was so special. I also received the iHeart Radio Tour Photographer Award for 2026 from this tour so it will definitely be one I’ll never forget.
How about tougher moments?
Reality of touring is that it’s physically and mentally demanding. You’re constantly traveling, sleeping in different places, living out of a suitcase and often working long days. The creative side can be tough too. Every day you’re asking yourself, ‘how do I make today’s photos feel different from yesterday?’ And even after years of doing it, imposter syndrome still shows up from time to time. You’re balancing exhaustion, creativity and the pressure to deliver, all while being away from family and friends. It’s incredibly rewarding of course, but can be tough.
Do you have a process that you follow when photographing artists? Is it difficult capturing candid or powerful moments when musician’s show schedules are so hectic?
To capture candid moments I usually try to blend into the background. You are in the artist’s space and have no idea what they are thinking or going through that day, so I try to keep myself lowkey. In terms of schedules, show days are tough from rehearsals, soundcheck to show time I am running around trying to capture everything including the fans who come to the shows in their best outfits. Sometimes I get 5 mins to shoot portraits before the artists goes on stage and sometimes I get 30 seconds.
Do you have any artists you haven’t worked with yet that you would love to? Can you explain why?
Beyoncé of course! Her shows are out of this world, especially the amount of work that goes into putting on the show. Her outfits, her glam everything is just incredible. She creates a world and to be able to capture that would be a dream! I’ve been to about a dozen Beyoncé shows and I’m in awe every time.
You have photographed the likes of One Direction, Little Mix, Fifth Harmony and KATSEYE. Do their energies change from group to group? Do you have to shoot them in a different ways?
Energies definitely change from group to group but what doesn’t is what it takes to get the shot. Usually there is no time to capture stills before a show and I only get a few seconds to minutes to shoot, that was the same with Little Mix and Fifth Harmony and is the same with KATSEYE! So the energy is always chaotic before a show, in that sense I guess energies are similar!
Do these groups have different energies? Do any stand out or inspire you for any reason in particular? (if you could give an example of a group and then also an individual from a group that stands out please.)
Each group definitely bring their own energy either to stage or the photo itself. The female groups tend to inspire me since there is so much visual storytelling from the glam process, to the outfits to choreo. Since I worked with Little Mix from the beginning of their career as well as mine, I will always be grateful to them for trusting me to shoot. I was learning and finding my style as a photographer while they were growing as artists. Jade in particular because she was always open to trying my crazy ideas. As a young photographer, having someone trust your vision and encourage you to experiment gives you confidence, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
Has photographing shows changed much over the years, if so, how?
Absolutely, in the age of TikTok/Reels-first social media, the turn around time has to be almost instant with photos. Clips from the show start circulating while the show is still happening and fans expect to see images almost immediately. Things move so fast. With phone clips you can upload instantly while with photos there is a whole process. Cull, editing, coloring process which definitely takes more time.
