Best Photos Of 2012

Randy Blythe, Lamb of God. May 26, Bengaluru

I had shot Lamb of God earlier in 2010, so there were some moments I was anticipating ”“ certain “stage poses.” And this was one of them ”“ a signature Randy Blythe pose, if I may put it that way. 

Andrew “Drew” Goddard, Karnivool. November 06, Mumbai

When Karnivool were on their second India visit in November, their label Sony Music set up an “unplugged” set for them at Bonobo in Mumbai. This photo is from earlier that afternoon when they had turned up for soundcheck, when guitarists Goddard and Mark Hosking and singer Ian Kenny were huddled around a table working out acoustic versions of some of their songs. I like the daylight vibe of this picture, a sharp contrast to most gig pictures that are shot at night.

Cameron “Pepa” Knight, Jinja Safari. November 07, Mumbai

We’ve all seen countless pictures of musicians headbanging with their guitars. This one here is special to me because it is not often that one sees someone headbanging with a sitar in hand. 

Keshav Dhar, Skyharbor. May 26, Bengaluru

Dhar is the brains behind Skyharbor. It really started off as his solo bedroom studio project (then known as Hydrodjent), but has since grown to be one of the most promising metal acts to emerge out of India. This picture really shows Dhar the way I believe he prefers to be – in the shadows and not in the spotlight.

Rahul Hariharan, Bhayanak Maut. May 26, Bengaluru

Anyone who’s shot concerts knows how difficult it is to get a half-decent picture of the drummer from the photo-pit down below. More often than not, he is obscured by his toms and cymbals. And if you don’t catch his hands in the frame, he ends up looking like a talking head just sitting behind the drumkit. So, I was quite happy to get this picture of Hariharan at work.

Photos: Bobin James/Khachaak.com