Eric Cheng

Aliases: echeng, Guest echeng, wetpixel (admin account), Guest wetpixel
Role: Underwater photographer, technologist, media executive, Wetpixel co-founder and owner (2001–2018)
First appearance: 2001 (featured on Wetpixel May 2001; joined forces with Breitigam late 2001)
Affiliation: Wetpixel (co-operator 2001–~2003, sole owner ~2003–2018), Lytro, DJI, Meta Reality Labs

Biography

Eric Cheng (born December 15, 1975, Madison, Wisconsin) is a Taiwanese American underwater photographer, technologist, concert cellist, and media executive who transformed Wetpixel.com from a single-page news site into the definitive online community for underwater photography. He holds BS and MS degrees in Computer Science from Stanford University, where he also studied classical cello performance. (Birth date confirmed by Eric Cheng, 2026-06-09; corroborated by the Wetpixel forum “Happy Birthday Eric” thread from December 2005 where the community celebrated his 30th birthday on December 15, 2005 — ^[1])

Early life and education

Cheng grew up in San Diego, the son of Taiwanese immigrants who came to America for graduate school. He was pushed hard as a kid, spending time outside school playing classical music, sitting in front of computers, and — by his own account — “lighting things on fire.” He moved to the Bay Area for college, where he felt as much at home in the music department as in computer science. As the Huffington Post later noted: “Land is where Cheng obtained his two computer science degrees at Stanford, and where he trained as a concert cellist. It’s where he developed a passion for pursuits that are creative and also highly technical.” (^[2])

He got dive certified in San Diego in the summer of 1995, with instructor Steve Douglas, but did fewer than 20 dives between 1995 and 2001 — he was working 80–100 hour weeks after Stanford graduation. (^[3])

In 1998, during graduate school, he borrowed a 0.5-megapixel digital camera from Stanford that used floppy disks for storage. Despite the crude quality, it changed his life — he saved $1,000, bought his own digital camera, and began experimenting with digital infrared photography. He also kept saltwater reef aquariums, which sparked a love for the ocean.

The leap into underwater photography

In 2001, Cheng resigned from a Silicon Valley startup (“it was all-consuming and a bit too narrow of a life for me”) with no clear plan, bought an underwater housing and strobe for his digital camera, and went scuba diving in Palau in April 2001 aboard the Big Blue Explorer liveaboard with a Coolpix 990 in an Ikelite housing and a SubStrobe 200. He uploaded the photos as a travel journal on his personal website. He later recounted fighting housing problems and an overpowered strobe the entire trip, having to swim up to 30 feet to change camera settings because buttons were sticking. (^[4])

When he got home and published the journal, he received an email from Ike Brigham within days, asking what could be done about the housing problems — Cheng was impressed by the personal attention. (^[5])

The Wetpixel origin story

The path to Wetpixel was serendipitous, as Cheng himself recounted in a detailed 2008 retrospective forum post. During the Palau trip, he met the owner of a dive resort in Bora Bora, who invited him to create a website for the resort (TopDive). He spent summer 2001 in Bora Bora, and the iconic Wetpixel logo diver was later traced to a photograph from this trip — the community protested when a later redesign removed it, and Cheng was “forced to put it back in.” (^[6])

Cheng was already building his own online community for digital underwater photography when David Breitigam — who had founded Wetpixel.com on March 21, 2000 as a dedicated news page for underwater digital photography — recruited him to provide satellite-based web coverage of a digital photography expedition to Kona. Breitigam had been running Wetpixel for nearly two years, using Steve’s Digicams forums for community discussion (where he served as the underwater subject moderator). Cheng’s Palau trip photos had been featured on Wetpixel as early as May 2001. The two became friends through the Kona trip, and recognizing they were building toward the same goal, decided to join forces under the Wetpixel name. Cheng built the community site and editorial platform while Breitigam handled the business side.

During the Kona expedition (November 2001 — the first Wetpixel Digital Shootout), Cheng was described as “a software engineer and amateur underwater photographer.” (^[7]) He also met photographer Jim Watt, who connected him to the entire underwater photography industry. They tested a prototype housing for the Canon D30, which was very exciting — until Watt “put down his F4 housing to give it a try. I never got to use it again, and had to buy my own.” (^[8])

As Cheng later described it: “For various reasons, I took over Wetpixel shortly after, re-launching it as a community site and online magazine of sorts, focused on digital underwater photography.” Around 2003, Breitigam stepped down due to time constraints, and Cheng became the sole owner. A February 2002 forum post by Cheng (as “Guest wetpixel”) confirmed the unpaid partnership: “no one pays me or David, and we run this site.” (^[9])

Subsequent early trips solidified Cheng’s network: Kona March 2002 (again with Jim Watt, where he took delivery of a Canon D60 and fitted it into a UK Germany D30 housing), and Bahamas July 2002 aboard the Shear Water with Jim Watt, David Fleetham, Andy Sallmon, and Jim Abernethy. That Bahamas trip was his “first real experience with sharks” — a pivotal moment that shaped his career. (^[10], ^[11])

Building Wetpixel (2002–2009)

Cheng served as CEO and publisher of Wetpixel LLC from 2002 to 2018, during which time the site grew to over 35,000 members. He authored 1,084 articles for the site — second only to Adam Hanlon in volume — and contributed 3,593 forum posts and 222 article comments.

He was an active commenter on Wetpixel articles, notably contributing a detailed 3,190-character defense of RAW shooting in the 2004 “RAW vs JPEG” debate — articulating the technical case for RAW capture in wide-angle blue-water shooting where file sizes were close to 1MB on 6MP Canon DSLRs. He also posted a heartfelt testimonial in the 2008 Markus Groh/Jim Abernethy thread, reflecting his long friendship with Abernethy and deep ties to the shark diving community. (article comments)

By 2005, Cheng’s business combined stock images, magazine articles, workshops, trip leading, Wetpixel operations, occasional software consulting, and cello gigs. His first SLR housing was a UK-Germany, which he loved, but he switched manufacturers due to difficulty obtaining parts in the US. (^[12]) By 2005, he was shooting a Canon 1Ds Mark II in a Seacam housing with Ikelite DS-125 and Inon Z-220 strobes, favoring the Canon 15mm fisheye, 100mm macro, and 180mm macro underwater. He chose the Seacam because “it is the highest-quality housing on the market” and valued gear that “just works.”

In September 2005, he expanded the Wetpixel moderating team, adding Drew Wong, Mike Veitch, Todd Mintz, Luiz Rocha, and others to handle the growing community. (^[13])

In May 2006, Cheng expanded Wetpixel into video through a partnership with DiveFilm.com, adding Paul Waghorn as video moderator. (^[14]) That same year, he began making the transition from stills to video himself — Stephen Frink interviewed him for Scuba Diving magazine after he posted tiger shark videos shot in 1080i in the Bahamas. (^[15]) A DiveFilm podcast interview explored his early impressions of the transition, with interviewer Mary Lynn Price noting his willingness to share the learning process openly. (^[16], ^[17])

In September 2007, he co-founded Wetpixel Quarterly, a landscape-format print magazine showcasing the best underwater imagery, with Elijah Woolery. The magazine’s mission was to create “a high-quality venue for showcasing the work of this community in print.” (^[18])

In September 2009, Cheng stepped back from day-to-day Wetpixel operations. In May 2011, Adam Hanlon was officially appointed Wetpixel Editor, with Cheng continuing as Publisher. (^[19])

Conservation work

Cheng is a committed ocean conservationist with deep ties to the shark conservation community. In January 2007, Wetpixel members initiated a protest against Amazon.com selling shark fin soup — a community effort, with Shawn Heinrichs authoring coverage on the site. Amazon removed all shark fin products within 10 days, in what the article called “a testament to the power of the internet to inform and drive action.” (^[20])

In 2008–2009, he served as head photographer for Sea Shepherd’s Operation Musashi, the Antarctic anti-whaling campaign documented in Season 2 of Animal Planet’s Whale Wars. His friend Drew Wong noted that his on-screen presence was limited — “he was in 2 shots for a total of 3 seconds” — though Cheng clarified he was “in at least 20 shots per episode… in the background a LOT.” (^[21])

In January 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of Shark Savers (now WildAid), alongside Jim Abernethy and Howard and Michele Hall on the advisory board. (^[22]) He also served on the Board of Advisors of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Exhibitions, awards, and public speaking

Cheng was a prolific public speaker and exhibited his underwater photography widely:

• Nature’s Best Photography (2005): Won the Animal Antics category with his “Screaming Turtle” photo, shot with a Canon D60. The print was displayed at 4x5 feet at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. His Great Hammerhead photo was highly honoured in the same competition. (^[23], ^[24])
• National Geographic Traveller/PDN World in Focus (2007): Won with his Jellyfish Lake (Palau) photograph. (^[25])
• Solo exhibitions (2009): Taiwanese American Community Center, San Diego (Jul 7–Aug 8); The G2 Gallery, Venice, Los Angeles (Aug 11–Sep 20), in a show titled “H2O” alongside Michele Westmorland. 14 Illuminarte prints by Image Wizards. Chuck Nicklin attended the opening. (^[26], ^[27])
• Maker Faire (2010): Exhibited 14 large aluminum marine-life prints in a 30x30-foot space at Maker Faire, San Mateo, and gave a talk about sperm whales and flashlight fish on center stage. (^[28])
• TEDxBerkeley (2010): Gave a 15-minute talk at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley, on underwater photography, ocean conservation, and his creative life. (^[29], ^[30])
• Stanford University (2010): Spoke at the Stanford Photography Club, combining a summary of underwater photography techniques, a talk on sharks, and his 20-minute TEDx talk on flashlight fish and sperm whales. Also displayed aluminum prints at RedStart Design, San Francisco. (^[31])
• Wyland ICON Award (2011): Received the award for contributions to ocean conservation and underwater imagery. (^[32])
• Photographers@Google (2012): Featured speaker at Google’s photography series. (^[33])
• CreativeMornings LA (2014): Delivered “Hidden Ocean Worlds” lecture about sharks, jellies, and tiny bizarre critters. (^[34])
• LIFE through the Lens (2012): Featured on the Google+ Hangout vidcast, discussing his “early musical background, the role cello plays in his life today, his stunning underwater photography and the groundbreaking Lytro camera.” (^[35])

He gave numerous seminars at dive industry events including the Boston Sea Rovers Clinic (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), DEMA (2002–2014), NCUPS (2004, 2008, 2012), SeaSpace (2004), the Monterey Shootout (2011), Dolphin Scuba Center Sacramento (2010), and the Wildlife Photographers of Silicon Valley (2006). (^[36], ^[37], ^[38], ^[39], ^[40])

Wetpixel Expeditions

Cheng organized and led photography-focused dive expeditions under the Wetpixel banner, establishing a reputation for taking small groups to remote, world-class dive sites:

• Bahamas Sharks & Dolphins (annual, 2004–2014): Multiple trips with Jim Abernethy’s Scuba Adventures, focused on tiger sharks, hammerheads, and dolphins. (^[41], ^[42])
• Digital Shootout series (2001–2007): Co-led the Kona, Fiji, Palau, and Bonaire Digital Shootout events with various co-leaders including Jim Watt, Berkley White, and James Wiseman. (^[43], ^[44], ^[45])
• Papua New Guinea (2006, 2012): Led trips to Loloata, Walindi, and the Eastern Fields atoll. Noted shark populations beginning to rebound at Eastern Fields after fishing depletion. (^[46], ^[47])
• Alaska (2007): Co-led with Norbert Wu aboard the Nautilus Explorer, exploring southeast Alaska and the Queen Charlotte Islands. (^[48])
• Socorro Islands (2008): Co-led with Alex Mustard. (^[49])
• Ultimate Indonesia (2009, 2011, 2012): Expeditions aboard the Seven Seas and Damai II liveaboards. The 2011 trip covered Alor and Komodo with 87 dives over 9 days. (^[50])
• Ogasawara Islands, Japan (2009): Led Wetpixel sperm whale expedition; photographed sperm whale with giant squid remains and a rare encounter with a huge male. Shot almost exclusively with a Tokina 17mm prime on full frame. (^[51])
• South Africa sardine run (2006, 2008): (^[52], ^[53])
• Guadalupe Island great white sharks (2006): (^[54])
• Maldives manta rays (2010): Aboard the MV Orion. (^[55])

Media interviews and profiles

Cheng was extensively profiled throughout his career, reflecting his dual identity as a photographer and technologist:

• NWP Photo Forum (2005): In-depth interview by James Morrissey covering Wetpixel origins, equipment choices, and career trajectory. (^[56])
• FiNS Magazine (2007): Joint feature with Alex Mustard in the inaugural FiNS Foto Feature, with unconventional questions. (^[57])
• Diver Channel magazine (2007): 10-page gallery and interview feature in Chinese. (^[58])
• Digital Photo Pro (2009): Featured profile. (^[59])
• Outdoor Photographer magazine (2010): Interview focusing on reef conservation. (^[60])
• Small Aperture (2010): Interview covering his photographic motivations and equipment. (^[61])
• Fast Company (2012): Short film profile about Cheng and Lytro cameras, “A Light Field Camera Tutorial.” (^[62])
• Huffington Post (2015): Candid interview titled “An Explorer’s Lessons On Happiness, Photography, And Greeting Whales,” covering his move to DJI and Silicon Valley drone leadership. (^[63])

Technology career (2011–present)

After selling Wetpixel to Adam Hanlon in 2018, Cheng pursued a career in immersive media technology, though his tech involvement began years earlier:

• Lytro (~2011–2013): Served as Director of Photography at the light-field camera startup. In 2008, he had called Micro Four Thirds a potential “Nikonos V replacement,” showing early interest in emerging camera technology. (^[64], ^[65]) The Fast Company profile showed him explaining “how he sees light field photography becoming a tool for some types of imagery in the future… another step in the evolution of photographic techniques, relating it to the switch from plate to film, film to digital.” (^[66])
• DJI (~2013–2015): Director of Aerial Imaging, overseeing the company’s Silicon Valley presence. In July 2013, he published aerial surf footage shot from a quadcopter — early drone/aerial imaging content. (^[67]) In February 2015, he piloted a drone into Iceland’s Holuhraun volcano eruption live on Good Morning America. The Huffington Post noted: “If drones have a face in the United States, it is arguably Eric’s.” (^[68])
• Meta Reality Labs (~2015–present): Director/Head of Immersive Media. His VR division role was confirmed by Drew Wong in the ADEX 2017 report (^[69]) and the ADEX 2018 report noted his work on VR360 and the computing challenges of stitching multi-camera feeds. (^[70]) He received 2 personal Emmy nominations (Outstanding Original Interactive Program) for When We Stayed Home and Rebuilding Notre Dame in 2020.

He is the author of Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones (Peachpit, 2015).

Tales by Light

Cheng was featured in the Canon Australia/National Geographic series Tales by Light. Season 2, released on Netflix in April 2017, featured an episode documenting his photography of orcas in Norway, green anacondas in Brazil, and tiger sharks in the Bahamas alongside Jim Abernethy. The series premiered at the Palace Norton Street Cinema in Sydney in October 2016. (^[71], ^[72])

Other creative work

Cheng is a concert cellist who has performed on stage with singer-songwriter Vienna Teng. He discussed his musical background and the role of cello in his life on the LIFE through the Lens vidcast. (^[73])

In 2009, he co-created the MarineLife Keyword List (12,000+ species) with photographer/educator Marty Snyderman and Barry Guimbellot for Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture, cutting keywording time “at least 90%.” (^[74])

In 2009, he visited the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston for a behind-the-scenes tour with Joe Holley of Marine Visions, documenting astronaut training and the massive pool containing full-size ISS and Space Shuttle mockups. (^[75])

In 2020, he interviewed underwater filmmaking pioneers Howard Hall, Michele Hall, and Marty Snyderman about their combined 150 years of experience, filmed at Atlantis Dumaguete. (^[76])

Personal life

On December 10, 2010, Cheng married Pam at San Francisco City Hall in an elopement with their siblings as witnesses. The announcement noted: “Even though our elopement only included mostly family (and not even our parents!), you were all in our thoughts.” Alex Mustard started a congratulations thread; Howard Hall was among the well-wishers. (^[77])

Their first son, Mako Cheng, was born in 2015 and is named after the mako shark.

Sale of Wetpixel and account suspension

On December 1, 2018, Wetpixel became fully owned by Adam Hanlon after 17 years under Cheng’s ownership. The announcement acknowledged “Eric Cheng, Wetpixel’s former owner, for his leading role as an underwater image maker, technical innovator and resource developer. Eric worked for 17 years to build Wetpixel in an active and vibrant community.” Cheng was to “continue to be involved with Wetpixel as an advisor.” (^[78])

Around 2022–2023, both forum accounts — “echeng” (personal) and “wetpixel” (admin account used during his tenure as site owner) — were pre-emptively suspended by Adam Hanlon during the financial controversy, without ever contacting Eric. This is why he appears as “Guest echeng” and “Guest wetpixel” in the forum archive. Despite being listed as Senior Advisor on the Wetpixel masthead, he was locked out of the community he had built.

Contributions

• Built Wetpixel.com into a community (2001–2018): Joined forces with David Breitigam (who founded the site in 2000) and transformed it from a single-page news service into the definitive online community for underwater photography, at the exact moment the industry was transitioning from film to digital. Became sole owner ~2003 when Breitigam stepped down. Authored 1,084 articles, contributed 3,593 forum posts, and managed the site for 17 years. Wetpixel grew to over 35,000 members.
• Wetpixel Quarterly (2007): Co-founded a premium print magazine showcasing the best underwater imagery, co-edited with Elijah Woolery. (^[79])
• Conservation campaigns: Used Wetpixel’s platform to drive action — the 2007 Amazon shark fin campaign succeeded in 10 days. Served on the boards of Shark Savers and Sea Shepherd. Documented the 2008–2009 Antarctic anti-whaling campaign. (^[80])
• Wetpixel Expeditions: Organized photography-focused dive trips to remote locations worldwide — Bahamas, PNG, Indonesia, Ogasawara, Alaska, Guadalupe, Socorro, Maldives, South Africa, and more.
• DPG/Wetpixel competitions: Co-founded the Our World Underwater / DPG-Wetpixel underwater imaging competition series with Jason Heller, running annually from 2006. (^[81])
• MarineLife Keyword List (2009): Co-created an open taxonomy tool with 12,000+ marine species for Lightroom/Aperture. (^[82])
• DiveFilm partnership (2006): Expanded Wetpixel into video content through partnership with DiveFilm.com. (^[83])
• Technology leadership: Bridged underwater photography and emerging technologies — light-field cameras at Lytro, drone imaging at DJI, VR/immersive media at Meta Reality Labs. Emmy-nominated for VR work.
• Bite-Back calendar (2011): Contributed imagery alongside David Doubilet, Doug Perrine, Brian Skerry, and Alex Mustard for the shark conservation charity’s calendar. (^[84])

Timeline

• 1995: Gets dive certified in San Diego with instructor Steve Douglas; does fewer than 20 dives over the next six years. (^[85])
• 1998: Borrows 0.5MP floppy-disk camera from Stanford; buys first digital camera; experiments with digital infrared.
• 2001-04: Resigns from Silicon Valley startup; buys UW housing; first dive trip to Palau aboard Big Blue Explorer with Coolpix 990 in Ikelite housing. (^[86])
• 2001, summer: Creates website for TopDive Resort in Bora Bora; photographs image that becomes Wetpixel logo diver. (^[87])
• 2001-11: Produces live webcast of Kona Aggressor II Digital Shootout via Iridium satellite phone; meets Jim Watt. Described as “a software engineer and amateur underwater photographer.” (^[88])
• 2002-02: Confirms unpaid partnership with David Breitigam: “no one pays me or David, and we run this site.” (^[89])
• 2002-04: Shoots Canon D60 underwater for first time in Kona with Jim Watt, fitting it into UK Germany D30 housing. (^[90])
• 2002-07: Leads Bahamas trip with 5 Canon D60 DSLRs alongside Jim Watt, David Fleetham, and Andy Sallmon via Jim Abernethy’s Scuba Adventures. First real experience with sharks. (^[91], ^[92])
• 2002-10: Covers DEMA 2002 for Wetpixel with David Breitigam; digital photography “dominates” show with 60+ products. (^[93])
• 2002-11: Reviews Vosonic X’S-Drive VP-2030 portable storage device for dive trips. (^[94])
• 2002-12: Photographs Jim Watt’s modified Sea & Sea D60 housing with Ikelite bulkheads and L&M LCD monitor. (^[95])
• 2003-02: Travels to Bahamas for shark photography expedition with Jim Abernethy and Dive Magazine UK. (^[96])
• 2003-06: Documents BBFS PIT tagging program at Bimini with Dr. Samuel Gruber, tagging juvenile lemon sharks. (^[97])
• 2003-06: Photo appears as Dive Magazine’s 2nd all-digital cover (loggerhead turtle). (^[98])
• ~2003: Becomes sole owner of Wetpixel after Breitigam steps down.
• 2003-10: Attends and covers DEMA 2003 with James Wiseman. (^[99])
• 2003-10: Attends Visions in the Sea 2003 in London. (^[100])
• 2003-11: Wetpixel.com wins Underwater Website of the Year at 30th Antibes Festival. (^[101])
• 2004-01: Launches Wetpixel v3.0, a ground-up redesign. (^[102])
• 2004-02: Gets digital cover shots on Tauchen Magazine and Shark Diver Magazine, shot with Sea & Sea-housed Canon D60 in Galapagos. (^[103])
• 2004-03: Gives digital UW photography seminar at Boston Sea Rovers 50th Anniversary Clinic. (^[104])
• 2004-03: Wetpixel reaches 2,000 forum members. (^[105])
• 2004-03: Publishes double-page dolphin spread in Scuba Diving magazine (March 2004 issue); shot with Canon D60 on his first Bahamas trip. Submitted through Seapix.com stock agency. (^[106])
• 2004-05: Co-leads Digital Shootout Fiji 2004 webcast with James Wiseman at Garden Island Resort, Taveuni. (^[107])
• 2004-05: Publishes “The Mystery of RAW Converters” — comparative analysis of RAW processing tools. (^[108])
• 2004-06: Co-presents digital UW photography workshop at SeaSpace trade show, Houston, with James Wiseman. (^[109])
• 2004-07: Leads first official Wetpixel Bahamas Sharks & Dolphins trip; photographs tiger sharks. (^[110])
• 2004-10: Speaks at NCUPS on history of UW digital imaging; brings Canon 1Ds and D60 lightjet prints. (^[111])
• 2004-10: Covers DEMA 2004 in Houston with Craig Jones and James Wiseman. (^[112])
• 2004-11: Reviews Uepi Island Resort, Solomon Islands. (^[113])
• 2005-02: Gives workshop at Boston Sea Rovers 51st Clinic alongside Brian Skerry, Norbert Wu, and Stan Waterman. (^[114])
• 2005-04: Leads Wetpixel Bahamas Shark Expedition with James Wiseman — photographs tiger sharks and hammerheads. (^[115])
• 2005-05: Visits French Polynesia (Apataki, Fakarava South) for grey reef shark diving. (^[116])
• 2005-07: Webcasts from Bonaire Digital Shootout 2005 with Berkley White, Jim Watt, and Dan Baldocchi. (^[117])
• 2005-08: NWP publishes in-depth interview covering Wetpixel origins, equipment choices, and career. (^[118])
• 2005-09: Expands Wetpixel moderating team with Drew Wong, Mike Veitch, Todd Mintz, Luiz Rocha, and others. (^[119])
• 2005-10: Wins Nature’s Best Photography Animal Antics category (“Screaming Turtle” photo); displayed at 4x5 feet at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Great Hammerhead photo highly honoured. (^[120], ^[121])
• 2005-10: Spotted by a woman in Papua New Guinea who later posted to the Wetpixel forum asking “Is this wetpixel administrator Eric Cheng?” — a sign of his growing visibility. (^[122])
• 2005-10: Wetpixel receives Scuba Diving Magazine’s first-ever Editor’s Choice Award for “Best Dive-Related Website.” (^[123])
• 2005-10: Wetpixel and DivePhotoGuide announce first joint international photo competition with $25,000+ in prizes. (^[124])
• 2006-01: Wetpixel/DPG inaugural photo competition winners announced at Our World Underwater, Chicago. (^[125])
• 2006-03: Leads workshops at Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic with Berkley White and James Wiseman. (^[126])
• 2006-04: Webcasts daily from Digital Shootout Palau 2006 (5th annual, 25 participants). (^[127])
• 2006-04: Attends ADEX 2006 Singapore; presents “Digital Duo” talk with Tony Wu. (^[128])
• 2006-04: Interviewed by Stephen Frink for Scuba Diving magazine about his transition to 1080i video, including tiger shark footage from the Bahamas. (^[129])
• 2006-05: Expands Wetpixel into video: partnership with DiveFilm.com, adds Paul Waghorn as video moderator. (^[130])
• 2006-06: Participates in BBFS PIT 2006 shark research program at Bimini. (^[131])
• 2006-07: At sardine run, South Africa. (^[132])
• 2006-07: DiveFilm podcast interview about his transition from stills to video; community praises his openness. (^[133], ^[134])
• 2006-08: Leads Guadalupe Island great white shark expedition. (^[135])
• 2006-09: Speaks to Wildlife Photographers of Silicon Valley on the role of software in photography, to an audience of ~50 people. (^[136])
• 2006-10: Leads Papua New Guinea expedition: Loloata Island, MV Febrina liveaboard, and Walindi Plantation Resort. (^[137])
• 2006: Photographs Southern Bluefin Tuna at Port Lincoln, South Australia alongside Drew Wong and Mark Conlin. (^[138])
• 2007-01: Co-leads Amazon shark fin campaign — Amazon removes products within 10 days. (^[139])
• 2007-02: Jellyfish Lake (Palau) photo wins National Geographic Traveller/PDN World in Focus competition. (^[140])
• 2007-03: Boston Sea Rovers 53rd Clinic. (^[141])
• 2007-06: Co-leads with Norbert Wu Alaska expedition aboard Nautilus Explorer (Sitka to Ketchikan, 12 days). (^[142])
• 2007-06: Covers Digital Shootout Bonaire 2007 — 60 participants, 3rd year at Divi Flamingo. (^[143])
• 2007-09: Co-founds Wetpixel Quarterly print magazine with Elijah Woolery. (^[144])
• 2007-10: Featured in 10-page gallery/interview in Diver Channel magazine (Chinese-language). (^[145])
• 2007-11: Covers DEMA 2007 with Matt Segal; Wetpixel at booth 2449. (^[146])
• 2008-01: Responds to Wetpixel DDoS attack. (forum community)
• 2008-05: Cor Bosman launches Wetpixel Google member map; Eric co-manages July 2008 software upgrade with Cor. (forum community)
• 2008-08: Calls Micro Four Thirds a potential “Nikonos V replacement.” (^[147])
• 2008-08: Joins sixgill shark expedition in Seattle with Matt Segal and Simon Rogerson (Dive Magazine). (^[148])
• 2008-09: Covers Manta Fest 2008 in Yap with Mike Veitch at Bill Acker’s Manta Ray Bay Hotel. (^[149])
• 2008-10: Leads comprehensive DEMA 2008 coverage — Wetpixel at booth #3049. Organizes joint Wetpixel/DivePhotoGuide cocktail party at DEMA 2008, Las Vegas Hilton. (^[150])
• 2008–2009: Head photographer for Sea Shepherd’s Operation Musashi (Whale Wars Season 2). (^[151])
• 2009-03: Leads Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia Expedition aboard Seven Seas liveaboard. (^[152])
• 2009-04: Presents at Sports Basement San Francisco; discusses Sea Shepherd Antarctica campaign. Patches Wetpixel forum software remotely while traveling to fix PM spam exploit. (^[153])
• 2009-05: Featured in Digital Photo Pro magazine. (^[154])
• 2009-06: Co-creates MarineLife Keyword List (12,000+ species) with Marty Snyderman for Lightroom/Aperture. (^[155])
• 2009-07: Solo UW photography exhibition at Taiwanese American Community Center, San Diego (Jul 7–Aug 8), then at The G2 Gallery, Venice, Los Angeles (Aug 11–Sep 20). 14 Illuminarte prints by Image Wizards. (^[156], ^[157])
• 2009-07: Visits NASA Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston; photographs astronaut training with James Wiseman’s borrowed Canon 5D Mark II. (^[158])
• 2009-09: Steps back from day-to-day Wetpixel operations.
• 2009-10: Leads Wetpixel sperm whale expedition to Ogasawara Islands, Japan; photographs sperm whale with giant squid remains. (^[159])
• 2010-01: Dominica sperm whale trip with Tony Wu, Cor Bosman, and others. Named “Scar” (10-year-old male sperm whale). (forum community)
• 2010-04: TEDxBerkeley 2010 talk — underwater photography, ocean conservation, and creative life. (^[160])
• 2010-04: Interviewed in Outdoor Photographer magazine. (^[161])
• 2010-05: Exhibits 14 aluminum prints and speaks about sperm whales at Maker Faire, San Mateo. (^[162])
• 2010-07: Leads seminar at Dolphin Scuba Center Sacramento; proceeds to Project Aware. (^[163])
• 2010-07: Wes Skiles tribute — Cheng contributes to memorializing the legendary cave diver and UW cinematographer. (^[164])
• 2010-07: Leads Wetpixel Bahamas expedition; Alex Mustard leads July trip. (^[165])
• 2010-07: Tests first underwater 3D video at Mexican cenotes with Sterling Zumbrunn and others. (forum community)
• 2010-10: Speaks at Stanford Photography Club; displays prints at RedStart Design, San Francisco. (^[166])
• 2010-10: Interviewed on Small Aperture about photographic motivations and equipment. (^[167])
• 2010-12: Marries Pam at San Francisco City Hall, December 10 (elopement). (^[168])
• 2011-01: Joins Shark Savers Board of Directors. (^[169])
• 2011-05: Adam Hanlon officially appointed Wetpixel Editor; Cheng continues as Publisher. (^[170])
• 2011-09: Receives Wyland ICON Award. (^[171])
• 2011-09: Presents “Top 10 Underwater Photography Tips” seminar at Monterey Shootout 2011 alongside Stephen Frink. (^[172], ^[173])
• 2011-09: Leads Ultimate Indonesia 2011 expedition aboard Damai II — 87 dives, Alor and Komodo, 9 guests. (forum community)
• 2011-10: Lytro releases light field camera — Cheng serves as Director of Photography at Lytro. (^[174])
• 2011-10: Featured in DiveFilm HD podcast on shark diving in French Polynesia, with French subtitles. (^[175])
• 2012-01: Leads Wetpixel PNG Eastern Fields expedition with Tony Wu; notes shark populations beginning to rebound after fishing depletion. (^[176])
• 2012-05: Hosts first-ever Wetpixel Google+ Live Hangout video session. (^[177])
• 2012-05: Speaks at NCUPS on Lytro cameras and Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia trips. (^[178])
• 2012-06: Fast Company profiles Cheng and Lytro in “A Light Field Camera Tutorial” film. (^[179])
• 2012-08: Featured on LIFE through the Lens Google+ Hangout vidcast, discussing cello, underwater photography, and Lytro. (^[180])
• 2012-09: Featured at Photographers@Google. (^[181])
• 2013-07: Publishes aerial surf footage shot from a quadcopter — early drone/aerial imaging pioneer. (^[182])
• ~2013–2015: Director of Aerial Imaging at DJI.
• 2014-03: “Hidden Ocean Worlds” lecture at CreativeMornings LA. (^[183])
• 2014: Publisher at Wetpixel; leads Bahamas underwater photo week.
• 2015: First son, Mako Cheng, born (named after the mako shark). Announces move to DJI, overseeing Silicon Valley presence (HuffPost interview, March 2015). (^[184])
• 2015-02: Pilots drone into Holuhraun volcano on Good Morning America.
• 2015-10: Publishes Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones (Peachpit).
• 2015-11: Joins Facebook (Meta) as Head of Immersive Media.
• 2016-04: Visits Nauticam USA.
• 2016-10: Tales by Light Season 2 premieres in Australia (Canon Australia/National Geographic). (^[185])
• 2017-04: Tales by Light Season 2 released on Netflix — documents orcas in Norway, anacondas in Brazil, tiger sharks in the Bahamas. (^[186])
• 2017: Role at Facebook VR division confirmed by Drew Wong in ADEX 2017 report. (^[187])
• 2017: Pays tribute to Rob Stewart (shark conservationist and filmmaker). Co-organizes OWU/DEEP 2018 competition series with Matt Weiss. Organizes whale shark photography trips at Isla Mujeres.
• 2018-04: Mentioned at ADEX 2018 for VR360 work at Facebook. (^[188])
• 2018-12: Sold Wetpixel to Adam Hanlon, effective Dec 1, 2018, after 17 years as owner. Continues as advisor. (^[189])
• 2020-04: Interviewed Howard Hall, Michele Hall, and Marty Snyderman about UW filmmaking history at Atlantis Dumaguete. (^[190])
• 2020: Receives 2 personal Emmy nominations (Outstanding Original Interactive Program) for When We Stayed Home and Rebuilding Notre Dame.
• ~2022–2023: Both forum accounts — “echeng” and “wetpixel” — pre-emptively suspended by Adam Hanlon during the financial controversy, without ever contacting Eric. This is why he appears as “Guest echeng” and “Guest wetpixel” in the forum archive.

References

External references

• NWP Photo Forum interview with Eric Cheng (James Morrissey, August 2005)
• Eric Cheng — Wikipedia
• echeng.com biography
• Television Academy — Eric Cheng
• Photocritic interview
• Blancpain Ocean Commitment — Eric Cheng

Editorial sources (articles)

Community sources (forum threads)