Eric Cheng (born January 9, 1975) is a Taiwanese American entrepreneur, professional photographer, and Emmy-nominated executive producer[1] specializing in virtual reality, underwater photography, and aerial imaging. He is Head of Immersive Media at Facebook Reality Labs.[2]

Eric Cheng
Eric Cheng at the Holuhraun volcano eruption in Iceland, Sep 2014
Born (1975-01-09) January 9, 1975 (age 49)
Alma materStanford University
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, photographer
Known forAerial & underwater photography

Eric frequently gives talks about drones, photography, marine ecosystems, and technology, and has spoken internationally at events including: TEDxBerkeley,[3] the Churchill Club,[4] LeWeb,[5] Photoshelter Luminance,[6] CES, and SXSW[7] and others.

In 2016, Eric appeared in the Australian television series Tales by Light,[8] which is available on Netflix for international distribution.

On February 3, 2015, Eric piloted a DJI Inspire 1 drone into the Holuhraun volcano eruption in the Bárðarbunga volcanic system in Iceland, broadcasting live for ABC's Good Morning America.[9]

Eric started Wetpixel, an underwater photography community website, and is active as a marine conservationist. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Shark Savers (a Program of WildAid),[10] and on the Board of Advisors of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.[11] He was head photographer for Operation Musashi, Sea Shepherd's campaign against the Japanese whaling fleet in Antarctica in late 2008 / early 2009, which was also documented by Animal Planet for Whale Wars Season 2.[12]

Aside from lecturing and writing about photography, he is a concert cellist and software engineer. Eric has been seen on stage with Vienna Teng in San Francisco, San Jose, Houston, and New York.

Previously, Eric was Director of Aerial Imaging at DJI and Director of Photography at Lytro.[13]

Eric was born in 1975 in Madison, Wisconsin, to immigrant parents from Taiwan.[14] He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in computer science from Stanford University.[15]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  2. ^ "Eric Cheng - Oculus Connect". Facebook. 2018. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  3. ^ "TEDxBerkeley Eric Cheng". 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  4. ^ "Consumer Drones: The View from Above". YouTube. 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  5. ^ "LeWeb Speakers Eric Cheng". 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  6. ^ "Luminance Speakers Eric Cheng". 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  7. ^ "SXSW Light Field: Turning Light into Living Pictures". 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  8. ^ Zhang, Michael (18 March 2015). "Tales by Light: Canon and National Geographic Join Forces for Six Part TV Series". PetaPixel. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  9. ^ "GMA Goes Inside a Volcano With a Drone". ABC News. 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  10. ^ "Shark Savers Announces New Board Members". 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  11. ^ "Board of Advisors - Sea Shepherd". 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  12. ^ "Photos - Sea Shepherd". 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  13. ^ "Fast Company Light-Field Camera Tutorial from Lytro Director of Photographer Eric Cheng". 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  14. ^ "Interview with Eric Cheng".
  15. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-02-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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