Eric Cheng

Aliases: echeng, Guest echeng, Guest wetpixel Role: Founder of Wetpixel, underwater photographer, technology executive First appearance: 2001 (founded Wetpixel) Affiliation: Wetpixel (founder, 2001–2018), Lytro, DJI, Meta Reality Labs

Biography

Eric Cheng (born 1975, Madison, Wisconsin) is a Taiwanese American underwater photographer, technologist, and media executive who relaunched Wetpixel.com as a community site in 2001. He holds BS and MS degrees in Computer Science from Stanford University, where he also studied classical cello performance.

Disputed: Birth date sources conflict. Some web sources give January 9, 1975. However, the Wetpixel forum “Happy Birthday Eric” thread from December 2005 ([1]) shows the community celebrating his 30th birthday on December 15, 2005, suggesting a birth date of December 15, 1975.

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.

Cheng 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)

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 documenting the world around him, experimenting with digital infrared photography. He also kept saltwater reef aquariums, which sparked a love for the ocean.

Cheng 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. ([2])

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. He uploaded the photos as a travel journal on his personal website. ([3])

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. ([4])

Cheng was already building his own online community for digital underwater photography when David Breitigam — who operated Steve’s Digicams, a popular early digital camera news site — recruited him to provide satellite-based web coverage of a digital photography expedition to Kona. Breitigam had created Wetpixel as an offshoot of Steve’s Digicams focused on underwater digital photography. The two became friends through the Kona trip, and recognizing they were building toward the same goal, decided to combine efforts under the Wetpixel name. Cheng took over the site and relaunched it as a full community platform.

During the Kona expedition (November 2001 — the first Wetpixel Digital Shootout), Cheng also met photographer Jim Watt, who connected him to the entire underwater photography industry. 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.” In the earliest days, Cheng ran the site alongside David Harasti, both unpaid. ([5])

Subsequent early trips solidified Cheng’s network: Kona March 2002 (again with Jim Watt), and Bahamas July 2002 aboard the Shear Water with Jim Watt, David Fleetham, Andy Sallmon, and Jim Abernethy. ([6])

He served as CEO and publisher of Wetpixel LLC from 2002 to 2018, during which time the site grew to over 35,000 members and won the Antibes Festival prize for Best Website (2003) and Scuba Diving Magazine’s Editor’s Choice for Best Dive-Related Website (2005). In 2007, he co-founded Wetpixel Quarterly, a landscape-format print magazine, with Elijah Woolery.

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. ([7]) 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.”

Beyond Wetpixel, Cheng is a committed ocean conservationist. He served on the Board of Directors of Shark Savers (now WildAid) and the Board of Advisors of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In 2008–2009, he was head photographer for Sea Shepherd’s Operation Musashi, the Antarctic anti-whaling campaign documented in Season 2 of Animal Planet’s Whale Wars.

After selling Wetpixel to Adam Hanlon in 2018, Cheng pursued a career in immersive media technology. He served as Director of Photography at Lytro (light-field cameras), Director of Aerial Imaging at DJI (where he piloted a drone into Iceland’s Holuhraun volcano eruption live on Good Morning America in February 2015), and Director of Immersive Media at Meta Reality Labs, where he executive-produced 9 Emmy-nominated VR films and experiences.

He is also a concert cellist who has performed on stage with singer-songwriter Vienna Teng, and the author of Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones (Peachpit, 2015). He was featured in two episodes of the Netflix/Canon series Tales by Light (Season 2, 2016–2017), documenting green anacondas in Brazil and tiger sharks in the Bahamas.

Contributions

Timeline

References

Sources

  1. Forum thread: Happy Birthday Eric ↩
  2. Forum thread: Certification Dive With Steve Douglas Summer 1995 ↩
  3. Forum thread: My First Dive Trip Ever 2001 ↩
  4. Forum thread: My First Dive Trip Ever 2001 ↩
  5. Forum thread: Online Courses ↩
  6. Forum thread: My First Dive Trip Ever 2001 ↩
  7. source: article comments (article) ↩
  8. Forum thread: Certification Dive With Steve Douglas Summer 1995 ↩
  9. Wetpixel article, Nov 9, 2001: Kona Aggressor Ii Digital Shootout Webcast ↩
  10. Wetpixel article, Apr 6, 2002: Canon D60 Digital Slr ↩
  11. Wetpixel article, Jul 21, 2002: Bahamas 2002 With D60s ↩
  12. Wetpixel article, Jul 22, 2002: Dema 2002 Report ↩
  13. Wetpixel article, Nov 19, 2002: Vosonic Xs Drive ↩
  14. Wetpixel article, Dec 2, 2002: Sea Sea D60 Housing Photographs ↩
  15. Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2003: Echeng West Palm Beachbahamas 2003 ↩
  16. Wetpixel article, Jun 3, 2003: Bbfs Pit 2003 Coverage ↩
  17. Wetpixel article, Jun 18, 2003: Dive Magazines 2nd Digital Cover ↩
  18. Wetpixel article, Oct 7, 2003: Dema 2003 Show Coverage1 ↩
  19. Wetpixel article, Oct 24, 2003: Visions In The Sea 2003 Coverage ↩
  20. Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2003: Wetpixel Wins At Antibes ↩
  21. Wetpixel article, Jan 23, 2004: Wetpixel V30 ↩
  22. Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2004: Tauchen And Shark Diver Digital Covers ↩
  23. Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2004: Boston Sea Rovers 50th Anniversary Clinic1 ↩
  24. Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2004: Wetpixels 2000th Forum Member ↩
  25. Forum thread: Eric Gets A Double Page Shot In The Latest Rodales Rag ↩
  26. Wetpixel article, May 7, 2004: Digital Shootout Fiji Webcast 2004 ↩
  27. Wetpixel article, May 27, 2004: The Mystery Of Raw Converters ↩
  28. Forum thread: Great Job Eric And James ↩
  29. Forum thread: Photos From 2004 Wetpixel Bahamas Sharks Dolphins Trip ↩
  30. Wetpixel article, Oct 6, 2004: Eric Cheng To Speak At Ncups On Friday ↩
  31. Wetpixel article, Oct 15, 2004: Dema Show 2004 Report ↩
  32. Wetpixel article, Nov 26, 2004: Uepi Island Resort Review ↩
  33. Wetpixel article, Mar 17, 2005: Boston Sea Rovers 51st Clinic 2005 ↩
  34. Wetpixel article, Apr 6, 2005: Wetpixel Bahamas Shark Expedition 2005 Report ↩
  35. Wetpixel article, May 3, 2005: Reminder Use Wetpixel Contact Form ↩
  36. Wetpixel article, Jul 31, 2005: Bonaire Digital Shootout 2005 Daily Webcast ↩
  37. Wetpixel article, Aug 8, 2005: Eric Cheng Interview On Nwp ↩
  38. Wetpixel article, Sep 14, 2005: Wetpixel Expands Moderating Team ↩
  39. Wetpixel article, Oct 15, 2005: Eric Cheng Wins In Natures Best ↩
  40. Forum thread: Does A Museum Count As Media ↩
  41. Wetpixel article, Oct 29, 2005: Wetpixel Receives Scuba Diving Magazine Editors Choice ↩
  42. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2005: Wetpixelcom Divephotoguidecom International Photo Competition ↩
  43. Wetpixel article, Feb 26, 2006: Wetpixel Divephotoguide Contest Winners Announced At Owu ↩
  44. Wetpixel article, Mar 11, 2006: Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic Report 2006 ↩
  45. Wetpixel article, Apr 17, 2006: Palau Digital Shootout 2006 Daily Webcast ↩
  46. Wetpixel article, Apr 26, 2006: Adex Asia Dive Expo 2006 Report ↩
  47. Wetpixel article, May 10, 2006: Wetpixel Partners With Divefilm For Video Podcasts ↩
  48. Forum thread: Sandisk 8gb ↩
  49. Wetpixel article, Jul 7, 2006: Guadalupe Great White Shark Expedition August 25 30 2006 ↩
  50. Wetpixel article, Apr 26, 2006: Eric Cheng Newbie Videographer ↩
  51. Forum thread: Tuna In Oceanic Fish Cages ↩
  52. Wetpixel article, Jan 11, 2007: Amazoncom Pulls Shark Fin Products From Inventory ↩
  53. Wetpixel article, Feb 23, 2007: Eric Cheng Photograph Of Jellyfish Lake Winner In World In Focus Competit ↩
  54. Wetpixel article, Jun 17, 2007: Digital Shootout Bonaire 2007 Daily Webcast ↩
  55. Wetpixel article, Dec 7, 2007: Wetpixel Quarterly Holiday Discount ↩
  56. Wetpixel article, Aug 5, 2008: Olympus And Panasonic Announce Micro Four Thirds ↩
  57. Wetpixel article, Aug 13, 2008: Six Gill Sharks In Seattle ↩
  58. Wetpixel article, Sep 3, 2008: Manta Fest 2008 Wetpixel Coverage Day 1 ↩
  59. Wetpixel article, Oct 21, 2008: Dema 2008 Day 0 Exhibitor Set Up ↩
  60. Wetpixel article, Apr 15, 2009: Cor Bosman And Craig Jones Post Ultimate Indonesia Trip Reports ↩
  61. Wetpixel article, Apr 20, 2009: Eric Cheng Presents At Sports Basement San Francisco April 23 2009 ↩
  62. Wetpixel article, May 8, 2009: Eric Cheng Featured In Digital Photo Pro ↩
  63. Wetpixel article, Jun 12, 2009: Marinelife Keyword List For Lightroom And Aperture ↩
  64. Forum thread: Exhibition Eric Chengs Underwater Photography Julaug 2009 ↩
  65. Forum thread: Sperm Whale Expedition To Ogasawara Japan ↩
  66. Wetpixel article, Apr 5, 2010: Eric Chengs Tedxberkeley 2010 Talk Is Now Online ↩
  67. Wetpixel article, Aug 8, 2010: Video Tribute To Wes Skiles ↩
  68. Forum thread: Wetpixel Bahamas Expeditions July And Sep 2010 ↩
  69. Wetpixel article, Dec 13, 2010: Eric And Pam Get Married ↩
  70. Wetpixel article, May 27, 2011: Adam Hanlon Appointed As Wetpixel Editor ↩
  71. Wetpixel article, Sep 2, 2011: Eric Cheng Receives Wyland Icon Award ↩
  72. Wetpixel article, Oct 22, 2011: Lytro Releases Light Field Camera ↩
  73. Forum thread: Wetpixel Papua New Guinea Eastern Fields 2012 Trip Report ↩
  74. Wetpixel article, May 31, 2012: The First Ever Wetpixel Google Live Hangout ↩
  75. Wetpixel article, Sep 24, 2012: Eric Cheng At Photographersgoogle ↩
  76. Wetpixel article, Jul 29, 2013: Aerial Surf Footage From A Quadcopter ↩
  77. Wetpixel article, Apr 15, 2017: Report Imaging Products At Adex 2017 ↩
  78. Wetpixel article, Apr 16, 2018: Show Report Adex 2018 By Drew Wong ↩
  79. Wetpixel article, Nov 30, 2018: Change Of Ownership At Wetpixel ↩
  80. Wetpixel article, Apr 1, 2020: Interview Marty Snyderman With Howard And Michelle Hall By Eric Cheng ↩
  81. Kona Aggressor II Digital Shootout Webcast (article) ↩
  82. Canon D60 Digital SLR (article) ↩
  83. Bahamas 2002, with D60s (article) ↩
  84. DEMA 2002 Report (article) ↩
  85. BBFS PIT Journal 2003 (article) ↩
  86. Wetpixel wins at Antibes (article) ↩
  87. Digital Shootout Fiji Webcast 2004 (article) ↩
  88. DEMA Show 2004 Report (article) ↩
  89. Tauchen and Shark Diver Digital Covers (article) ↩
  90. Bahamas Shark Expedition 2005 (article) ↩
  91. Eric Cheng wins in Nature’s Best (article) ↩
  92. Wetpixel receives Scuba Diving Magazine’s Editor’s Choice (article) ↩
  93. Eric Cheng Interview on NWP (article) ↩
  94. TEDxBerkeley 2010 talk (article) ↩
  95. Wes Skiles tribute video (article) ↩
  96. Eric and Pam get married (article) ↩
  97. Adam Hanlon appointed as Wetpixel Editor (article) ↩
  98. Wyland ICON Award (article) ↩
  99. Lytro releases light field camera (article) ↩
  100. First Wetpixel Google+ Hangout (article) ↩
  101. Photographers@Google (article) ↩
  102. Aerial surf footage from quadcopter (article) ↩