The Fremont tier of the Oregon Timber Trail. Photo by Conan Thai
July 2021 brought both the first-ever Oregon Timber Trail Grand Depart and the (now infamous) Bootleg fire. Riders converged on Lakeview, OR where anxious riders met each other while the mayor of Lakeview barbequed. The ride is now history. What can you say about summer bikepacking in the American West? Be prepared to improvise, change plans, and bring an N95. Despite all of this, one rider (and photographer) Conan Thai returned with a stunning set of images that captured the essence of this race-not-a-race. Bikepacking.com awarded him with “best event documentation” of 2021. We wanted to get to know Conan a bit better and hear a bit more about his process. Anyone that wants to capture their own adventures will appreciate what Conan accomplished during this Grand Depart. Thank you for sharing your story and your process, Conan!
OTTA Interview: Conan Thai
Tell me about your photography training
I started taking photos while in college, mostly for fun. I hadn’t seriously considered doing photography until I began assisting a fashion photographer I admired in my early twenties. It was a clarifying experience that opened my eyes to what was possible when creativity meets pre-production and execution. I eventually started chasing a photo career for myself and moved up to LA for a brief bit before making the move to NYC. It’s been more than a decade now and, while it no longer is my main source of income, I’m still taking plenty of photos. For most of my time in NYC, I’ve been freelancing at Picturehouse, a darkroom and post-production studio. It was a fantastic learning experience working with prints from prominent fashion photographers like Peter Lindbergh, Glen Luchford, or Alasdair McClellan. I’ve learned so much about scanning, color, and retouching.
Analog vs. digital. Have you worked in the darkroom or obsessed about film photography?
I love shooting with film but have been preferring digital lately for its immediacy. Analog photography can be a bit more time and labor-intensive and I haven’t found myself with as much free time these days. Spending my workday with other people’s images, the last thing I want to do is commit more time to screens, especially if I could be riding my bike instead!
You did a great job of getting honest and spontaneous moments of fellow riders. How did you do that?
It takes a while for some people to warm up to a camera so part of the process in taking candid photos is making the camera disappear. For some photographers in the older days, their first shots might just be without film in the camera just to keep things fluid. It also helps to hold onto a conversation while taking a photo. These days, I’m also of the opinion that the image-taking process shouldn’t be so precious. I’ve taken my fair share of misfocused, under/overexposed photos. Take plenty of photos so you can get the bad photographs out of your system!
How did you race AND capture so many great moments?
Racing with the OTT grand depart, I barely took any photos on the first two days. My priority was to keep moving forward at a competitive pace but the wildfires had a different idea. After receiving group text messages about the growing Bootleg Fire and the eventual closure of the Fremont-Winema section, I made the decision to scratch in Paisley. It happened to be the same idea as 10 other riders. Sitting at the town’s community park, we decided to leapfrog up the route to Chemult past the wildfire-affected area. No longer riding at race pace, we rode in informal groups. It gave me the opportunity to catch some of the other riders that were still competing.
Does wildfire smoke add to the vibe or just a bummer?
Wildfire is definitely a bummer! Some of the racers came prepared with N95s. I wish I was prepared with more than a bandana. Riding a smokey Tour Divide years prior, I thought I would be able to handle it all but the smoke from the fires we had this past season felt too dense.
Top 4 suggestions for folks wanting to document their own adventures?
The top tip I have for trip documentation is to have easy access to your phone, camera, or journal. The mental space on long rides can be quite similar to your headspace in the shower. Thoughts are fleeting and, if they don’t get jotted down quick enough, they might be forgotten entirely. If you’re cresting over a hill and see a rider off in the distance in a perfect patch of light, your chances of catching that image quickly disappears the longer it takes to take your camera out. The same applies to personal revelations - you should be able to pin it down to your journal or phone’s note app before it escapes!
Two: Ride with a friend. Photos can have more of a narrative if you have a subject to lead the “story” or “beat” of the photograph. If you’re traveling with more than one other person, that’s even better! If you missed your shot photographing one friend, just wait for the next one to pass by. Make sure to ask for consent beforehand - not everyone feels comfortable with having their picture taken.
Three: Know your camera inside and out before setting off. This is probably the most straightforward tip. You don’t want to be out in the field only to realize you brought the wrong memory card. If a camera is new to you, spend some time familiarizing yourself with how to change the settings. It could be something you practice while watching TV and on a commercial break. Get comfortable using two hands holding the camera, changing the ISO, f-stop, or any other function. Then try doing it with your cycling gloves. If that feels good, try it with one hand.
Four. Look ahead. Riding a bike, we’re constantly scanning the ground to find the best lines or checking to see what’s behind or around a trail feature. Perhaps you could also expand your visual checklist to include possible frames for photos. Make sure, however, that your first priority is to ride safely and not be distracted by the sights. A friend once rode directly into a tree because he was distracted by a pretty pond! If pausing to take a photo, make sure you and your bike are not on the trail behind a blind curve or feature. A rider coming up from behind might not have enough time to react if they’re coming at speed.
How do you make peace with the weight of a camera during a race? Do you stick with one lens?
Having ridden a few long routes like the Tour Divide and the Silk Road Mountain Race, my main regret for those trips is that I hadn’t brought a camera. At home, as I began to meet more people interested in mountain biking, I started bringing my old Canon 5Dmk3, a DSLR, to take photos on local trips. I used to shoot exclusively with prime lenses but realized that I needed the convenience of a zoom lens to respond more quickly. After adding together the weight of all the equipment, I’d be carrying around 6 pounds of camera gear on my back which, in time, became what I expected to ride with all the time. When considering what to bring on an extended trip, the choice to carry a compact camera was an easy one to make - I’m knocking off 5 pounds from what I usually carry! For the OTT, I picked up a used Fujifilm X100F from an internet friend for an inexpensive price. I had thought that it wouldn’t survive the tough conditions of the OTT but it managed to surprise me. It was my first foray into mirrorless cameras and I was thoroughly impressed by what it was able to do. My friend Alan and I rode south from The Dalles on most of the Oregon Outback route to get to the start of the OTT and it was plenty of time for me to get comfortable with the X100F. Given the choice, I’d still prefer my 5Dmk3 but the X100F was a welcome substitute.
What did you love about the OTT Grand Depart? What did you not love about the ride?
I love the energy at grand departs. People are so open and engaging! It could be nervous energy or it could be the thrill of being surrounded by similarly minded individuals ready to embark on a shared experience. We may not all ride at the same pace but everyone is eager to share their stories whenever we meet again, at the next resupply town, under the shade for a lunch break, or on social media after we’re done. It’s easy to make fast friends. Regarding what didn’t work well, it was frustrating dealing with the high heat and smoke. The severity of droughts or heatwaves will continue to increase in intensity.
Who and what inspires your photography?
I’ve lately been enjoying what Emily Cheng has been sharing on Instagram. Besides skillfully capturing dramatic vistas of interior Iceland or rocky Colorado peaks, such warmth exudes from the photographs of her friends, whether they’re climbing, bikepacking, or mountaineering. The activities may be tough and demanding but everyone is ultimately there because it’s fun. I love seeing people actually enjoying themselves (and each other’s company) instead of grimacing from a sufferfest.
How can we make the OTT more diverse, equitable, and inclusive?
The cycling world has much more to do to become more inclusive. A million mountain bikers may be all chiming in, “we’re only one person, what can we do”? The simplest things to do may just be to sit back, listen, and signal boost where possible. We, unfortunately, function in a capitalistic society where our bodies are the ultimate products commodified and sold. As marketing slowly becomes more diverse, it may feel like the athletes featured are not representative of the current body of consumers but that will (hopefully) change with each generation. Put more BIPOC in production roles and have more body-inclusive imagery when considering casting for future jobs. Everyone should also feel allowed to enjoy themselves in whatever way is comfortable, whether it’s a credit card tour or a short overnighter at a local campground. Not everything needs to be a remote wilderness experience to be considered an adventure. Celebrate the little victories and the people already around you! Big actions start with little steps.
Conan’s OTT Grand Depart in 12 images
We were shuttled in an old school bus to the start of the race by the Fremont-Winema NFS and came across a herd of cattle. I love how many smaller frames exist in this photograph.
I woke to see Ben Groenhout packed up and ready to tackle Winter Rim, a KN95 slung around his neck. He had arrived late at night and was up before the sunrise in order to avoid the heat of the day.
Convergence. As more riders linked up in Paisley, there was a collective decision to scratch then and there. (After we cleared out the general store’s scant supplies of breakfast burritos, of course). We made the decision to jump ahead to Chemult to avoid the Bootleg Fire.
We managed to get to Silver City, thanks to Angelica and Kevin (who scratched earlier on). While waiting for another ride to Chemult, Max laid on the floor next to their dog, both lethargic from the day’s heat.
After arriving in Chemult, we came across a few other riders while resupplying. I love taking photos of old signs.
Everett is a fantastic storyteller and used to guide bike tours. Such a fount of information! I don’t think I could ever capture their warmth in a photograph.
Geo made all of their bikepacking bags and I had to take a photo of the setup. My camera wasn’t in the setting I expected but it happened to be the right one for a tracking shot! I had metered for the shade that Geo was under a few seconds prior to this shot but there thankfully was enough information in the raw file for me to process.
Everett flies ahead, dodging the swaths of mosquitoes that started chasing us after Crescent Lake. When learning how to take photographs, it’s often suggested to start with the light source behind you to illuminate the subject. I actually enjoy the flare when the sun is just slightly out of frame. It works for me in this image because it balances with the dust kicked up by Everett.
Middle Fork Trail. Steep, rocky, and long. The trail was in rough shape but there thankfully wasn’t as much deadfall thanks to the help of the local forest service who cleared it out the day before the grand depart. This section was such a stark contrast to what we had ridden earlier.
I feel like I can’t take a bad photo of Max. He might’ve had a smile on his face the entire time riding on the OTT!
Geo in the morning light in Oakridge, ready to tackle Bunchgrass Ridge. This is just a little before the sun came up over the horizon so the light is soft, diffused, yet directed. It’s almost like a softbox in the sky.
Last golden light of the day on Lava Lake. I ended up spending most of my ride with Max and Everett and I couldn’t have asked for a better group.