Rider’s Lens: Tom Farrell’s Shots from the Saddle

Hello, I’m Tom! I’m the owner of The Woods Cyclery in the New Forest, UK. I’ve been riding bikes all my life, from BMX through MTB, fixed wheel, and now ATB/gravel/adventure bikes, or whatever you want to call them. I got into photography in my teens and shot 35mm film pictures of my friends riding BMX while recovering from various injuries, one of which ended my BMX days.

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I really enjoy route planning and documenting the rides that ensue. My Rat Run route is one of my proudest achievements, and talking to all the riders who come into the shop while en route this summer has been such a pleasure. I have other routes in progress that I hope to release in the future, one of which, in Dartmoor, has been in the pipeline for years and features in some of these pictures.

Beyond cycling, I spend a lot of the winter surfing. The two pastimes complement each other well. It tends to be pretty flat here all summer, which gives me plenty of time to ride, and when the trails are wet and nasty in the winter, I spend more time in the water.

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I still shoot film these days, but documenting bike shop culture, whether portraits of bikes and people or rides, is increasingly impractical without digital. I like timeless bikes and images, and the two go hand in hand; a steel bike against a stone wall in a quintessential British landscape is the pinnacle for me. I take a lot of influence from the Rough-Stuff Fellowship and the klunker scene of the 1970s.

Whenever possible, I love to document rides in a way that doesn’t detract from the flow of the riding. I often find myself blasting off in front to turn and shoot an angle I’ve spotted ahead, only to have to play catchup afterwards. I also shoot from the saddle a lot. It’s mostly for the practicality of not slowing the ride down, but I also hope to create a feeling of being along for the ride.

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I also love portrait photography, but more often candid stuff, something that captures the personality of the rider and the bike. That relationship always intrigues me. The more personal and unique a rider’s setup is, the better!

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One of my favourite photographers in the bike world is Cass Gilbert, who features in some of my shots and helped me make the Rat Run route a reality. His early stuff had a big influence on me, as I’m sure it did for many. He’s unrivalled in how he can tell a story from his pictures. Another favourite is Simon Weller, one of the best portrait photographers in the game. I’m lucky to consider them both friends! Outside the bike world, Thomas Campbell is a favourite. When I have more spare time (when I retire!), I’d love to experiment with cross-processing film like he does and get more experimental with my film photography.

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My advice to anyone wanting to get into photography is to buy a point and shoot film camera and have a go. And light. It’s all about light! You don’t need a good camera if you’ve got good light; don’t even bother shooting until golden hour.

Tom’s Photo Gear

Depending on the occasion, I shoot on a Fuji XT30 digital camera with 85mm and 50mm equivalent prime lenses, a Canon AE-1 film camera with a 50mm lens, or a Yashica T4, which is sadly broken at the moment. I’m not very techy with my gear at all. I have no interest in reading up on the latest camera gear. Rather, I like to carry a minimal setup, really get used to it, and celebrate the limitations!

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I like to have my camera swinging off my back when riding and shooting to allow me to access it really quickly. I like to spot a shot and grab it at a moment’s notice, and I hate asking a rider to ride a section again, probably because I enjoy riding more than I do shooting. So, selfishly, I don’t want to disturb my own flow! I’ve been using a little elastic strap that I salvaged from a head torch and a carabiner clip for about 10 years, which allows me to slide my camera onto my back but secure it from swinging back around on rough terrain. I’ve been asked about it countless times. Plenty of more high-tech versions are on the market now, but none seem to work as well as my simple piece of elastic and clip.

Photo Breakdown

The featured shot is one of my favourites, not only because it’s from one of my most loved spots local to us, but because I think it looks like it could have been shot in the 1960s. On the evening the shot was taken, four of us pedalled across the chain ferry to our beloved Purbeck for an overnighter. It was April and bitterly cold. I’d had a camp spot in mind for a while that’s pretty wild and hard to access. We had to shoulder our bikes around the bay and along the loose cliffs to get to a little piece of land big enough to make camp. That evening, we sat on a conveniently placed log looking out to sea, sipping on rum.

Further Reading

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