By Abigail Abesamis Demarest • Photos by Brian Bielmann
Surfer-turned-photographer Brian Bielmann has captured life above and underwater for more than three decades, and he's not stopping anytime soon.
Bielmann is a legend in the photography world. Over the course of his 43-year career he's traveled all over the world and worked with some of the best surfers — Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, and Kelly Slater — and brands, with a client list that includes Quiksilver, Red Bull, and Guinness. His photos have graced more than 200 magazine covers, plus dozens of books and magazines.
Much of his work captures life on the water, including waves, surfers, and marine life, and it's no accident: surfing was Bielmann's first love.
Cape Hatteras Was Our Hawaii
"I started surfing on the East Coast; I grew up in Virginia, and Cape Hatteras in North Carolina was our Hawaii," Bielmann said. "It was just so beautiful down there. If you were going to get any kind of waves at all, that's where it happened."
While it was only about a three-hour drive, Bielmann decided to move to Cape Hatteras for the last two summers before heading to Hawaii, to spend as much time on the water as possible.
"I lived with a few other guys in a trailer, and we had our little $1.50-an-hour jobs," Bielmann said. "I was making subs and once I saved up $200. Two of my friends and I jumped in a car, drove across the country for three days, and met my older brother in Hawaii."
When he woke up to blue skies, palm trees, and clear water, he knew he was never going back. "That was 45 years ago," he said.
The Accident That Made Him a Photographer
Bielmann's first few years in Hawaii were all about surfing and working odd jobs to pay the bills: janitor, shoe salesman, construction, perishable foods selector, to name a few.
"At some point I realized that I was 21 and had to figure out what I was going to do for a living," he said. After a month of agonizing, he decided that he would be a surf photographer.
Of course, deciding to become a photographer and actually shooting photos are two very different things, and it would be almost a year before Bielmann did the latter. "I bought all the camera equipment and just didn't use it," he said. "I couldn't get out of the water. I'd always jump in and say, 'Ok, I'm going to surf for half an hour then jump out and take pictures,' and I never would."
A surfing accident changed all that.
"I pulled into a tube and the wave collapsed," Bielmann said. "It threw me over with the wave breaking over the falls. I thought I was going to land on my feet, but I was upside down. I hit the reef head first and put a big hole in my head."
The doctors stitched him up, but he still had some coral in his head and the wound got infected. After an emergency surgery and a few days of waiting for the swelling to go down, Bielmann was discharged from the hospital but had to stay out of the water for three months.
He seized the opportunity to dive into photography and make it his priority. "I started shooting more and more, and eventually got my first photo published," he said. "It was a quarter page, I made $25, and from that moment on I was hooked."
"I'd Like to Think I'm a Little Bit More of an Artist"
As a surfer, surfing photography came naturally — but Bielmann didn't stop there. "I'm a surfer so I'm not faking anything. I just absolutely love what I do," he said. "Unlike other sports, surfing is a lifestyle that goes beyond just competition."
On surf trips to Tahiti, for example, Bielmann shoots all the action at surfing contests, but he'll also shoot underwater on flat days and travel around the island to shoot lifestyle photos and portraits. By diversifying the types of photos he takes, Bielmann has been able to sell his work to magazines, advertisers, and even art lovers.
"People that don't even know about surfing love waves," he said. "I have a much bigger market than I would if I was just an action photographer. The funny thing is that I've never considered myself to be an action photographer. I'd like to think I'm a little bit more of an artist. I'm a little of both, I guess."
Still Hanging In There
After more than four decades of taking photos professionally, he's still at it. "Years and years of shooting and now all of a sudden I'm the legend, which just means old guy," Bielmann said. "I've watched many generations of photographers come and go, and I'm still doing it, I'm still hanging in there."
At 64, Bielmann isn't flying around the world chasing swells as often as he did in his peak magazine days, but he's still taking plenty of photos.
"This past winter in Hawaii was the best winter we've ever had," he said. "Out of 60 days I only had a day and a half off in a row."
Looking back at his career, there's no doubt that Bielmann has led an exciting life. "I tend to live my life with the glass half full," he says. "Being gone is an adventure, but so is coming home."
Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Volume 9 (Summer 2022). Story by Abigail Abesamis Demarest. All photographs by Brian Bielmann. For more, visit brianbielmann.com or follow him on Instagram at @brianbielmann.
