Frithjof Blaasch, also known as Bulgenslag, is one of the best water sports photographers and cameramen in northern Europe. His pictures and films capture the moments we all love so much about our sport with a very special energy. He knows how to perfectly capture the mood, the conditions and the light during a session and set the scene. He has also appeared in our magazine with various shots.
So it was more than time to ask him a few questions and present some of his best photos of wingfoiling:
Hello Frithjof, attentive observers know that your main focus is actually on windsurfing. However, more and more shots of wingfoiling are creeping in. How did that come about?
In 2020, Steffi Wahl got a wingfoil setup from Philip Horn – there wasn’t too much choice at the time – and said that she needed to practice it now because something was being planned. We shared the setup and tried it out a bit. At first I was pretty anti-it, but I quickly discovered the benefits of maximizing my own water time. It was also a lot of fun because we all started at the same level and pushed each other. A short time later, I was introduced to the VAYU idea and got involved.
(Click here for the article about Steffi Wahl with Frithjof’s photos.)
Do you wingfoil yourself?
Definitely! Since then, my water time has tripled, even though I only have one wing, one board and one foil – keep it simple is the motto.
Is there a difference between windsurfing and wingfoiling photography?
Quite a lot actually, in general I would say that it is much easier to photograph wingfoiling. It’s much easier for the riders to position themselves as I would like and you don’t need as much wind, which makes it easier to take pictures from the water.
What’s the first thing you do when you get to the spot? Take pictures or get on the water yourself?
That depends on the conditions (wind, waves, light) and how motivated I am.
Do you always take your camera equipment with you? Or are there also moments when you deliberately leave it at home to go out on the water just for yourself?
I actually always have my equipment with me, but there have been times when I’ve deliberately left it at home. This is usually the case when I’ve had a lot of assignments where I’ve photographed other people practising a water sport.
Can you switch off the photographer/cameraman in you when you’re on the water yourself? Or do you sometimes get annoyed when you see a beautiful scenery that you don’t have a camera with you?
It doesn’t annoy me, even if water sports in nature can’t be reproduced so well, of course, so I gather inspiration for the next photo at such moments. Good planning is all you need to focus on one thing. For example, if it’s foreseeable that there will be good surfing and lighting conditions, then I plan my own sessions so that I can be behind the camera at the right time without feeling like I’m missing anything.
How did you get into photography?
My grandfather gave me an SLR camera as a child, my father was a trained photographer and explained the basics to me. I often looked at his pictures as a child, I was particularly fascinated by the black and white shots. After the first film developments, however, I gave it up for the time being. At some point, Nico Prien (now a successful windsurfing YouTuber) and I started filming each other surfing. That was still with those mini-DV tapes that you had to digitize yourself. I even had a water housing for the camcorder, but without controls, which meant you had to press record, screw everything together quickly and then you had 60 minutes. Of course, it was all quite time-consuming, so at some point I bought a digital camcorder.
Filming and editing was always a lot of fun, but I lacked a bit of perspective at the time – there was only YouTube and MyVideo and they were still being developed. You got the most attention from photos in magazines, which was relevant for me because I didn’t have any money, but I wanted new and better material. When the camcorder died, I got myself an SLR camera, which could take great pictures and also film. The first publications in SURF magazine were not long in coming and so I invested all my money in lenses and water housings. Everything I’ve briefly touched on now covers a period of almost 20 years and the tide has turned once again – now people want more videos and fewer photos.
Did you complete training or something similar as a photographer/cameraman or did you teach yourself everything?
I tried to attend all kinds of courses on the subject of photo/video at school or university, but at that point I was already further ahead than the teachers, so I would describe myself as self-taught. What got me further were smaller jobs where I assisted other photographers, for example on industrial and advertising shoots or the German Sailing League, where I only did post-production.
How many photos do you take on average per week and how much time do you spend on photography? Can you earn part of your living from photography? What other work do you do for a living?
I work part-time as a social education worker (25 hours a week) in a child and youth welfare facility, and I spend at least the same amount of time a week on photography. It has actually become a second mainstay and that makes me very happy and also a little proud. The fact that I only do photography part-time means that I’m not forced to take on jobs, but can choose what suits me. As a result, my motivation is always very high and I always try to create something new.
Do you only focus on water sports photography or do you also have other motifs?
Basically, I’m not restricted to water sports, but it has to have something to do with movement or nature…
Would you tell us what kind of equipment you use for photography and filming?
It’s not important what equipment you use, but that you think about it and what you want. The most important factors here are the interplay of exposure time, aperture and ISO and, in the video sector, the different formats plus the desired frame rate (FPS). Nowadays, system cameras can achieve very good photo and video performance, but are also somewhat more sensitive than SLR cameras due to the technology, which in turn lag somewhat behind in the video sector. In any case, cameras that offer the option of using different lenses are recommended, as this is one of the most important things, at the moment I often use an old lens from the 70s…
Do you still edit your photos?
I was once at a photo exhibition and an older photographer tried to embarrass the artist by asking exactly this question. Yes – of course I post-process the RAW files. The darkroom has given way to the computer and I don’t find it at all reprehensible to post-process the images. I try to edit the images as I saw them and on the gray winter days I add a little more saturation to the surf footage because I love the contrast between the gray weather and the colorful footage.
What are the best conditions for you to photograph?
Anything below ISO 800, including weather extremes such as storms, snowfall, ice, sea fog, …
Which perspectives do you like the most?
Water perspectives and backlighting.
Do you prefer to shoot from the water or from land?
It really depends on the conditions, the incidence of light and the spot. Swimming in the water is always special because you’re really there and can talk to people.
You’ve already had a few publications in magazines, have often worked as a photographer at WOTS and have also taken photos at the product shoot for Vayu. Can you also be booked for a private photo session?
I haven’t been able to develop a clear idea yet. If a private person books me, they naturally want to go out on the water in particularly good conditions, just like me. The willingness to pay what it costs is usually not there. I once tried to set up an online gallery in which I published pictures that I happened to take during sessions. People could then buy the images as downloads, with various licensing options (private or social media). This way, no one would have had the pressure to pay for a shoot and could get very good images for really little money and even pass them on to their own sponsors (with the right license).
We’re talking about 15-30€ per picture. Long story short, I’ve done this 2-3 times and no one has bought a picture but offered links on Instagram. It doesn’t do me any good, but it might give the person in question a better sponsorship deal because they have a good social media presence. Interestingly, it’s quite different in other European countries, where people ask directly if they can buy the pictures, which they then do. That keeps the motivation high to photograph other surfers, and now I only take pictures of people I know or whose style I like.
Despite all the criticism, I basically like doing it and I also know the side of young surfers who can’t afford the equipment and need good pictures/videos to negotiate better deals. Especially if you’re not consistently in the top 3 in competitions, you have to look for other ways to offer the companies added value. That’s why I really enjoy photographing the WOTS & ROTS events organized by Oli and Leon (1001Grad). I could make it easy for myself and just take photos for an event report, but I want to “give” every participant at least one good photo. Accordingly, I have a lot of stress in post-production and it doesn’t really pay off, but I’m happy to do it for the scene, Oli, Leon and the many volunteers who put at least as much time and heart and soul into it as I do.
I think one of your best formats is “One Minute with…” or “One Cold Minute with…”, in which you film a rider for a minute with very nice shots. Are you planning something similar for Wingfoilen?
Thanks, it’s great to hear that you like it! It’s actually one of my favorite formats too. This ONE MINUTE thing actually came about as a result of the situation I described earlier. I didn’t feel like spending so much time, work and resources on Instagram credits anymore. So I wanted to do something that was fun for myself, where I could develop creatively and also show how beautiful windsurfing is. If the person featured in it benefits from it in any way, then I’m happy for them.
But I alone also decide on the choice of music, editing, grading and the output format. Sometimes I force Instagram consumers to turn their cell phones because I simply don’t feel like cropping my shots to portrait format and then hoping that a 10-second reel will go “viral”. I’d rather have fewer views, but the certainty that some people have given in to the whole thing, like you for example – thank you for that!
Who or what is shown in this format is also decided by me – usually spontaneously – the selection criteria are first and foremost the style, which I have to like, and the conditions have to suit the riders. For windsurfing, I’m still missing a few people, such as Niclas Nebelung (freestyle), who I recently had in front of the lens, but the conditions didn’t quite do him justice, so we’ll have to meet up again.
When it comes to waving, Henning Nockel is definitely at the top of the list, in my opinion he is not only a pioneer of the sport, but also simply has one of the best styles. I once showed a clip of Henning to someone who wasn’t involved in water sports and her comment was: “It looks like he’s dancing on the water”. There couldn’t be a better compliment and that’s exactly what I try to achieve with my videos, it should just look nice and inspire everyone – whether they have experience in water sports or not…
Frithjof, many thanks for the interview!
Click here for Frithjof’s Instagram channel @bulgenslag, YouTube-channal Bulgenslag and website bulgenslag.de .