Often, the most powerful photographs don’t capture an event. They reveal the extraordinary hidden in the mundane — the dusty roads, crooked trees, and melancholic faces that define American life more than any Instagram selfie ever could.
That’s what you’ll find in the reflective travelogues of cyclist Leigh Foster, whose minimalist approach to bikepacking films sets him apart in the crowded field of self-produced outdoor documentaries. His latest, titled simply The Perfect Midwest Bikepacking Route, finds Foster cycling from Chicago to his childhood home in St. Paul, Minn. Over 10 days and 572 miles, he bikes and camps his way through back roads, small towns, and tucked-away parks.
Though Foster often appears in front of the lens, his film is entirely self-made, likely requiring a lot of unseen work: placing the camera, biking past for a beautiful wide-angle shot, and then circling back again. But the real beauty of his latest bikepacking adventure is what he captures of the world around him.
The film focuses on images of the green landscapes, curious animals, decaying barns, and quaint hamlets along his journey. At its best, the film feels like a tribute to Robert Frank or Dorothea Lange, whose black-and-white photography of early 20th-century America still resonates.
Yet their work is often forgotten amid the overproduced and overly sentimental short films that now dominate our attention. Foster’s approach, however, eschews modern conventions. There are no philosophical voice-overs about the power of the human spirit. No manufactured drama about risks that were never an actual danger. No animations to show his route.
Instead, you get written explanations of where he’s going and the history behind each park and trail. You get close-ups of a paper map, and the red pins that show his progress. You get quiet guitar and strings, or unfiltered birdsong, crackling campfire, and the clicking of his bicycle hub. When Foster finally arrives home, you see him bike into the driveway during twilight, the dark silhouettes of family members waving through a lit window.
As one commenter put it, “I felt my blood pressure sink while watching this.”
Me, too.
