Rider’s Lens Grant

We’re excited to introduce the new Rider’s Lens Grant! We’re giving away a FujiFilm X-T4, four Fuji X100Vs, a complete Tanglefoot Hardtack bicycle, photographic storytelling mentorship workshops, and cash to aspiring photographers who are passionate about documenting their bike travels and adventures. Find all the details here…

We created our Rider’s Lens series back in 2015 to highlight talented photographers, artists, and storytellers who use bikes and bike travel as a means of channeling their creativity. We’ve shared the work of dozens of individuals through this platform since then, and we want to see it continue to grow and flourish.

To accomplish this, we’re looking for the next generation of photographers to share their stories using bikepacking or bikes as part of their medium. We’ve partnered with Fujifilm (@fujifilmx_us), Tanglefoot Cycles (@tanglefootcycles), and professional photographer James Joiner (@jjamesjoiner) to create the Rider’s Lens Grant, through which we’ll be awarding five grantees. Four aspiring photographers will get the Range Grant, which includes the incredibly useful and capable Fujifilm X100V camera, cash, and a storytelling mentorship with James Joiner. Additionally, one Prime Grant recipient will receive an incredible prize package that includes the advanced Fujifilm XT-4, selected lenses, a custom-built Tanglefoot Hardtack bike, and funds to put toward their dream bikepacking trip. And, we also aim to share their work on our site and social channels to showcase their work. Read on for details.

VTXL Bikepacking Route
  • Julia Vallera's Baja Divide Artwork
  • Slim Wonder, Rider's Lens

Rider’s Lens Range Grant (4 Recipients)

We’re super stoked to be awarding four grants that will include one of our favorite cameras, the FujiFilm X100V, plus $250 cash and a photographic storytelling mentorship with professional photographer James Joiner. Here are the details:

Fuji X100v

FujiFilm X100V

The compact and durable Fujifilm X100V is a single fixed-lens, 35mm-equivalent mirrorless camera that’s fun to use and produces beautiful files. The X100V has an MSRP of $1,399 and makes a great bikepacking camera that’s a favorite among professionals and is much more capable than its price tag might suggest. Several of us here on the team use and love this camera. Learn more over at FujiFilm-x.com.

James Joiner

Cash & Mentorship

Each of the four Range Grant recipients will receive $250 in cash to put toward a trip or other photographic necessities. In addition, the grant includes a storytelling mentorship workshop over Zoom with internationally published writer/photographer James Joiner, including portfolio critique, technical instruction, and assistance in developing your unique creative voice. Find out more about James at JJamesJoiner.com or on Instagram @jjamesjoiner.

Rider’s Lens Prime Grant (1 Recipient)

One applicant will receive the full Rider’s Lens Prime Grant package, which will include a $500 trip stipend, a complete Tanglefoot Cycles Hardtack, a storytelling mentorship with James Joiner, and a new Fujifilm XT-4 mirrorless camera with two lenses. Here are the details:

  • Tanglefoot Hardtack
  • Tanglefoot Hardtack

Custom-specced Tanglefoot Hardtack

Recently released by Vermont’s Tanglefoot Cycles, the new Hardtack is a sweet-looking drop-bar ATB optimized for gravel/doubletrack/light singletrack duty. We’re stoked to be giving away a custom-specced complete build around one of these new frames in the size of the winner’s choosing.

  • Custom All-City Gorilla Monsoon
  • Brooks C17 Saddle
  • Paul Klamper mechanical disc brakes

The Hardtack will be built using some of our favorite components, including a set of PAUL Klampers, a Brooks C17 saddle, 27.5 x 2.6″ Schwalbe Rock Razors, and Ignite Catalyst cranks. Learn more about the Tanglefoot Hardtack here, and find our site visit to Analog Cycles in the Related Content grid below.

FujiFilm X-T4

FujiFilm X-T4 + 2 Lenses

The XT-4 is the latest professional-level, interchangeable mirrorless camera from FujiFilm. There’s not much this camera can’t do, yet it still comes in a relatively compact package. The system included in this grant package includes the X-T4 and two lenses: the FujiFilm 50-140 f/2.8 and the FujiFilm 16-55 f/2.8. All told, that’s a nearly $4,500 retail value. Find out more about the X-T4 at FujiFilm-x.com.

James Joiner

Cash & Mentorship

The Rider’s Lens Prime Grant recipient will receive $500 in cash to put toward a trip or other photographic necessities. Plus, the grant includes a storytelling mentorship workshop over Zoom with professional photographer James Joiner. Find out more about James and his work at JJamesJoiner.com or on Instagram @jjamesjoiner.

Plains Perspective, Bikepacking Texas, Jerod Foster
Photo by Jerod Foster from The Bikepacking Journal Issue 04.

Apply

We’re looking for aspiring amateur photographers 18 years or older who are interested in adventure storytelling from a bicycle, or those using bike adventures as a means of channeling their creativity. To apply for one of these five Rider’s Lens Grants, follow these guidelines (two-step process):

  • Gather your best bike adventure photos or mixed-media/photo compositions; use a variety, but consider creativity and make them relevant to bicycle adventure
  • Compose a single Instagram slideshow post* with 5-10 of these photos and include these tags in the description: #RidersLensGrant2022 @bikepackingcom @fujifilmx_us @tanglefootcycles @jjamesjoiner
  • Publish your Instagram post by Friday, June 17th
  • Important: Enter your artist statement and contact info in the form below by the same date

We’ll be following along and will select a dozen or more finalists and will share some of our favorites on BIKEPACKING.com and our social media accounts. From there, our panel will vote to decide on the five Rider’s Lens grantees. We look forward to seeing everyone’s work. Good luck!

*If you don’t have Instagram, include a link to a gallery (Google Drive or Photos) in the application form below.

Grant Entry

Our panel, including James Joiner and several of us at BIKEPACKING.com, will judge entries based on your creative statement and your photo gallery (composition, photo selection, lighting, creativity, etc). Show us your best. We plan on selecting winners by early July and will share on our website and social media accounts.

By signing up, you’ll be automatically entered into our mailing list. You can opt out at any time. This is not a random drawing prize contest. Grant applications are open to anyone, anywhere in the world. Non-US grant recipients will be responsible for customs fees pertaining the grant items, as well as lost packages.

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Rider's Lens Grant

Share this

Help spread the word and share the Rider’s Lens Grant with your friends and other members of the community. We hope to see a lot of aspiring bicycle adventure photographers apply. You can download the Rider’s Lens Grant logo here, including a version sized for Instagram stories.

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