With nearly 40 years on the beach and in the water to his credit, Art Brewer remains one of the most impactful photographers in surfing. From a self-taught Laguna Beach kid that once studied with Ansel Adams to years spent in the darkroom and behind the photo editor's desk at Surfer magazine, his archives are deep and exhaustive. Admittedly not shooting as much as he once did, today one of his focuses is on teaching. Two years ago he picked up a gig running an "Action Surf Photography Workshop" for the New York School of Visual Arts. We caught up with Brewer to see how being an educator's treating him, what still gets him excited about photography, and why the surf industry has ruined many a lensman's careers:

How did the idea of teaching surf photography come about?
It was about two years ago in March or April when I was contacted, out of the blue, by Malcolm Lightner, the Director of Operations BFA Photography Dept at the School of Visual Arts NYC. We had met a few years earlier in at a lecture I was giving for the New York Camera Club. Malcolm had this idea he said he wanted to run by me and wanted to know if I might be interested in doing an Action Surf Photography workshop with the Arts Abroad Program. I told him that I'd need some time to think about it. Two weeks later I called and told him and said I'm in.

How many of these trips to Puerto Rico have you done?
So far we have been to Puerto Rico twice with SVA. Malcolm and I decided that keeping the workshop in the U.S. was smart for the first couple of workshops. We needed to get our feet wet and the elimination of customs issues out of the situation makes everything easier. In the future, my team and I plan to extend these workshops to all levels of photographers. We are planning a mid-level workshop to Nicaragua in June and we plan to expand to new destinations like Bali and Baja and Central America next year, but I'm sure we will so end up back in Puerto Rico because we've been so well received.

What points are you trying to make when you work with new photographers?
First thing is always teaching how to protect the equipment from the elements. We teach them what equipment is needed for different situations. All the tricks for shooting in the water with a everything from a telephoto to a fisheye. We work with them on water safety while swimming with a camera housing. Some students don't know a lot about surfing and surfers or the ocean, currents and waves lack of this knowledge can put you in a bad situation quickly. With water photography they need to know how to take care of their equipment and how to look and recognize a leak in the housing before it fries your gear. By being aware you can save a lot of money and grief. We do a crash course in equipment etiquette before they go near the water.

What's the biggest transformation you've seen in one photographer?
I know a guy that went from being a pretty good photographer to an emerging commercial photographer in the blink of an eye. He took the workshop and really listened to our advice and took it to heart, especially in the water. Shortly after, he used his new photography from the workshop to land a job with the Volvo/Puma open ocean racing team. I saw him transform before my eyes. Every student has inspired me in some way and has forever left an impression in my mind. That keeps me inspired.

These workshops have taught me how much fun it is to really share your knowledge with people. You really do get back more than you put in. Surfing is a very closed market. Surf photographers are very greedy and secretive. They don't like to share ideas and thoughts. To me, there is nothing better than seeing someone walking up the beach stoked because they know that they got an amazing photo. The whole learning curve has been shortened by digital. Now you don't have to wait days or weeks to get your film back. You can instantly look in the back of your camera to see if you got the shot or not.

After all these years, where do you see surf photography today?
Surf photography has become pretty homogenized in my opinion. Digital has changed the whole face of it. Most of the guys out there doing it never really had to work for their position in the line-up. You don't see a lot of people earning their spot anymore.

Manufacturers are paying less and less for the images that have created their entire lifestyle and brand. Photographers are treated like second-class citizens in the industry. All of these companies would have nothing if it wasn't for the photographers that captured a lifestyle, and we get none of the credit. They are taking all of these young photographers and putting them on retainer so they own all of their images. It is putting the established photographers out of business. Very few of the photographers that created the industry of surfing are still working today, only a hand full. And more and more of the guys I worked with are dropping out.

That is why I don't mind teaching. Part of my teaching is to make people realize that their photography is worth something. The lack of respect is making surf photography cheap and diluted, so many of the new crew don't have a clue. I teach them about usage rights and copyright infringement and more than anything, read every contract before you sign anything!

The magazines don't help the non-retained photographers either because they're content is controlled by the Quiks, Billas and Rips of the surf industry with there's advertorial take from in house photographers. Not too long along ago a good friend of mine was told by a Surfer magazine editor that magazines don't run images of surfers that don't have a sponsors any more ... besides The Surfer's Journal.

Is it a viable skill to be teaching? Is it possible to make a living as a surf photographer today? Or maybe somebody should pursue, say, ummm, something like welding or the janitorial arts.
A surf photographer today is going to find it harder and harder to make a living out of surfing. If you do, you better learn as much about other venues of photography as you can. In this day and age you cannot expect to have a wife, kids and a house and pay for it just with your surf photography -- unless you're giving away your rights, or chasing the world tour 10 out of 12 months out of the year. If they are going to be a surf photographer, they better be smart enough to take some business classes. The industry is so cheap that the manufacturers don't value the photographers that they have. You need to know how to protect yourself. My goal is to teach photography skills that transcend styles. You can take a water housing and shoot sailing, fashion or watercraft ads. The possibilities are endless. It just depends how far you are willing to expand.

How much do you shoot today?
That depends, I shoot very little surfing, but I shoot quite a bit of commercial, advertising, catalog and editorial. The last two "surf trips" I went on were to Indonesia in 2009 with Herbie Fletcher, Nathan Fletcher, John Florence, Bruce Irons, Matt Archbold and Danny Fuller. It was more of a "boys trip" than a work trip. The waves were insane and John got the ultimate wave that landed him on the cover of Surfer. The other trips didn't involve much surfing. I went with Shane McIntyre and his Fuel TV show, "On Surfari" to Russia and Haiti after the earthquake. I still make a few trips up the coast and down to Baja when the swell is firing. But I'm always open for a trip with a few good surfers anytime I can get away.

What would be the dream Art Brewer trip?
With the way the industry is these days, a few of the big industry companies are starting to bully the photographers who set up trips. Telling them that if they're taking one of their sponsored stars they want the photographer to give them advertising images for free. Otherwise they want one of their retainer photographers to be able to go along.

So my dream is to set up this great two -week trip with four to six of the best of the best surfers to a remote Indian Ocean island chain that still untouched. Then when the company asks to send their in-house photographer along to cover their sponsored riders I'd say, "Sure, why not?" But once we got to the boat and we're ready to leave the dock, I'd make sure that the in-house photographer never made it on and left on the dock ... it'd be a teaching moment.

Fair is fair, and it's time the surf industry gives back a little to the people that made these magazines and companies millions. If I pulled it off it could be my last surf trip in the industry ... that's why I'm teaching.