Wetpixel.com
Type: Online community / publication
Founded: 2000 (by David Breitigam); relaunched 2001 (by Eric Cheng)
Created by: David Breitigam (2000); expanded by Eric Cheng (2001–2018)
Current owner: Adam Hanlon (since 2018)
Corporate entities: Wetpixel LLC (incorporated 2002, US); Wetpixel Ltd (UK Company #11657743, incorporated 2018-11-03, dissolved 2024-04-16)
Headquarters: 434 Napa St., Sausalito, CA 94965 (2007–2018); Mildenhall, Suffolk, UK (2018–2024)
URL: https://wetpixel.com
Overview
Wetpixel.com is the leading online community for underwater photography and videography, created in 2000 by David Breitigam and transformed into a community platform by Eric Cheng starting in late 2001. It was incorporated as Wetpixel LLC in 2002. The site emerged at the exact moment underwater photography was transitioning from film to digital, and became the central gathering place for this new generation of digital underwater photographers.
At its peak, Wetpixel comprised over 35,000 registered members — described as “serious underwater photographers, not casual snorkelers.” The site combined editorially curated articles (gear reviews, news, features) with active community forums where photographers discussed equipment, techniques, destinations, and conservation. As one long-time member put it in 2013: “I consider wetpixel the most comprehensive source of information on underwater photography in the world.” ([1])
The archive comprises over 8,000 articles posted primarily by Adam Hanlon (~4,930, including ~200 guest contributions), Eric Cheng (1,084), Abi Smigel Mullens (728), and Matt Segal (354); approximately 400,000 forum posts across 23,000+ threads; 5,700+ article comments; and 1,500+ news items.
History
Origins (2000)
David Breitigam launched Wetpixel.com on March 21, 2000 as a dedicated news page for underwater digital still photography — “The Digital Photography resource for SCUBA divers.” There was no equivalent resource online at the time. Steve’s Digicams was a popular digital camera news site with general discussion forums but no underwater-specific coverage; Breitigam created Wetpixel to fill that gap, and used Steve’s Digicams forums for the community discussion component (where he served as the underwater subject moderator). Wetpixel was a hand-maintained static HTML page with news items, a gallery, links, reviews, and a message board link. The copyright notice on the earliest captures reads “(C) 1999, 2000 By Wetpixel and David Breitigam.” (Wayback Machine, March–October 2000)
Breitigam ran the site for nearly two years, covering DEMA shows, breaking product announcements (including the Light & Motion Tetra 3030), curating user galleries, launching the Digital Photograph of the Week feature, and organizing the first all-digital underwater photography liveaboard charter (“Film-Free Diving,” Kona Aggressor II, November 2001).
Cheng and Breitigam join forces (2001–2003)
In 2001, Breitigam recruited Eric Cheng — whom he had found online — to provide satellite-based web coverage of the Kona charter. Cheng’s Palau trip photos had been featured on Wetpixel as early as May 2001. Cheng was already building his own online community for digital underwater photography; the two became friends through the Kona trip and decided to join forces. As Cheng later recounted: “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.” (NWP Photo Forum interview, 2005)
Cheng had just returned from his first dive trip to Palau (April 2001) with an underwater housing for a digital camera. During the Kona expedition, he met photographer Jim Watt, who introduced him to the wider underwater photographic community. Cheng recognized that underwater photographers were geographically isolated and needed a virtual community. He relaunched Wetpixel as a community site and editorial platform while Breitigam handled the business side, and Wetpixel quickly became the definitive resource for the film-to-digital transition in underwater photography. Around 2003, Breitigam stepped down due to time constraints, and Cheng became the sole owner. A February 2002 forum post by Cheng (posting as “Guest wetpixel” — the site’s admin account, later also suspended by Hanlon) confirms the unpaid partnership: “no one pays me or David, and we run this site” — referring to Breitigam. ([2])
Early community discovery varied widely: members found Wetpixel through Google searches for underwater housing information, recommendations at dive photography events like Celebrate the Sea in Singapore, word of mouth from other underwater photographers, and crossovers from sites like DivePhotoGuide and Video University. ([3])
Early milestones (2002–2005)
- 2002: Incorporated as Wetpixel LLC. Original forum software was XMB. ([4])
- 2002-10: Forum stats: 844 topics, 4,555 posts, 484 members (October 2002). ([5])
- 2003-02: First photo contest launched (sharks theme); won by Mike Oelrich. ([6])
- 2003-05: Forum reaches 1,000 members. ([7])
- 2003-05: Site surpasses 250,000 unique visitors (non-forum areas only). ([8])
- 2003-10: Won Antibes Festival Web Site of the Year award. ([9], [10])
- 2004-01: Version 3.0 site redesign launched; forum migrated from XMB to IPB (Invision Power Board). Eric Cheng managed the migration personally, noting that private messages, avatars, and attachment links required manual recovery. ([11], [12])
- 2004-01: Classifieds section launched — free listings for private sales of underwater photography equipment. ([13])
- 2004-02: Photo contest moved from forums to a dedicated gallery module; “Cybergolfish” had run the contest for its first year. ([14])
- 2004-02: Alex Mustard joined Wetpixel as a moderator — described as an “award-winning photographer and marine biologist” who “has been taking underwater pictures since he was 9.” ([15])
- 2004-03: Forum reaches 2,000 members. ([16])
- 2004: Bi-monthly photo contest program with significant prizes; jury included Alex Mustard, Stephen Frink, and others; sponsored by Pictopia, Fathoms, Gates. ([17], [18])
- 2004-05: Site outgrows its server; Cheng migrates to a new dedicated server. ([19])
- 2004: POTW (Photo of the Week) contest established.
- 2005-02: Major site redesign: new multi-blog engine (Exhibition Engine), RSS/Atom feeds, community galleries, member blogs, single-sign-on with IPB 2.0 forums, running on a dedicated dual-processor server. The registered community exceeded 3,000 members “with many times that number in regular, anonymous visitors.” Redesign credits: James Wiseman, Markus Nolf, and Alex King. ([20])
- 2005-08: Forum reaches 4,000 members. ([21])
- 2005-10: Forum reaches 10,000 topics. ([22])
- 2005-10: Won Scuba Diving Magazine’s first-ever Editor’s Choice Award for “Best Dive-Related Website” at DEMA 2005. ([23])
- 2005-09: Hosted Katrina Relief Auction — Galapagos expedition auctioned for $3,101 for the Red Cross. ([24])
- 2005-10: DivePhotoGuide.com partnership — co-hosted international photo competition with $25,000+ prizes across six categories, digital only. Winners announced at 2006 Our World Underwater. 15% of entry proceeds donated to marine conservation. ([25])
Growth and expansion (2006–2010)
- 2006: Co-founded the Our World Underwater / DPG-Wetpixel competition with Jason Heller of DivePhotoGuide.
- 2006-05: Wetpixel partners with DiveFilm.com for video podcasts — early adoption of iTunes video podcast distribution for underwater filmmaking content. ([26])
- 2006-05: Wikipedia article on Wetpixel created; Eric Cheng rallied the community to add references establishing notability after deletionists challenged the entry. ([27])
- 2006-05: Wetpixel members featured as Inon Artists of the Month three consecutive months. ([28])
- 2007: Launched Wetpixel Quarterly print magazine with Elijah Woolery.
- 2008-01: DDoS attack took down the server and network switch. Eric Cheng posted: “Our ip address was the target, so apparently, someone out there doesn’t like us very much.” ([29])
- 2008-05: Cor Bosman launches Google Maps member map, plotting Wetpixel members worldwide by linking forum location fields. ([30])
- 2008-07: Forum software upgrade (Cor Bosman + Eric Cheng). ([31])
- 2009-04: PM spam exploit patched remotely by Eric Cheng while traveling. ([32])
- 2009-05: Wetpixel’s social media presence catalogued: the site had official Facebook pages, a Facebook group, a POTW Facebook app, a Twitter account, and a Flickr group. ([33])
- 2009-10: Drew Wong organized Wetpixel’s first official charity drive for Oxfam Asia Pacific disaster relief. Contributing photographers: Alex Mustard, Eric Cheng, Doug Perrine, Stuart Westmorland, Burt Jones & Maureen Shimlock, Marc Montocchio. ([34])
Editorial transition (2011–2018)
In May 2011, Cheng appointed Adam Hanlon as Editor while retaining the role of Publisher and Editor-at-Large, focusing on “strategic and continued development.” Cheng announced: “Wetpixel has been in existence for over 10 years and has fostered a close-knit community of passionate underwater image makers. Here’s to another 10 years of sharing what we find under the surface of the earth’s oceans!” ([35]) This reflected Cheng’s growing involvement in technology ventures (Lytro, DJI, Facebook Reality Labs). Hanlon became the most prolific article poster on the site, publishing ~4,930 articles (including ~200 guest contributions by other authors).
2013 redesign
In February 2013, Wetpixel underwent a major redesign featuring a new layout, the “Full Frame” photo essay feature, a forum software upgrade, and Tapatalk mobile support. Eric Cheng, though no longer running day-to-day operations, still participated in the redesign feedback, commenting on design decisions like fixed-width columns for readability. ([36])
2016 anniversary and podcast launch
- 2016: Wetpixel celebrated its 15th anniversary, having launched in 2001.
- 2016: The Wetpixel podcast series launched, featuring long-form interviews with key community figures including Alex Mustard, Drew Wong, Abi Smigel Mullens, Eric Cheng, and Tobias Friedrich.
- 2016–2017: Wetpixel Expeditions program was active with trips to Tiger Beach (Bahamas), Lembeh Strait macro workshops, whale shark encounters at Isla Mujeres, Raja Ampat, and Guadalupe Island.
- 2017-12: Wetpixel’s Instagram account (@Wetpixelgram) active.
Ownership transfer to Adam Hanlon (2018)
On December 1, 2018, Eric Cheng formally transferred ownership of Wetpixel to Adam Hanlon. The announcement stated: “Eric worked for 17 years to build Wetpixel in an active and vibrant community where techniques, imagery, and information are freely shared.” Eric would “continue to be involved with Wetpixel as an advisor.” ([37], [38])
Hanlon incorporated Wetpixel Ltd in the UK on November 3, 2018 (Company #11657743), registered at 82a James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk, IP28 7DE, under SIC code 79120 (Tour operator activities) — reflecting the Wetpixel Expeditions travel business. ([39])
Community member “oneyellowtang,” drawing on years of web industry experience, later estimated that Wetpixel was never truly profitable as a web property: annual costs were minimal (hosting and registration), there was zero paid staff (all moderators were volunteers), and Cheng likely sold it for a modest sum. The primary revenue model was Wetpixel Expeditions trip bookings rather than advertising. ([40])
2019 server migration
In July 2019, Wetpixel underwent a server migration managed by Tom St. George. The migration introduced various bugs. The site was hosted at Arcustech LLC (Rochester, MN), a managed virtual private server provider, with the domain registered through Tucows. ([41], [42])
COVID-19 pivot and Wetpixel Live (2020–2021)
The pandemic forced Wetpixel to pivot from in-person events to online content. The most significant initiative was Wetpixel Live, a YouTube video conversation series hosted by Adam Hanlon with regular contributions from Alex Mustard. Described as “a regularly refreshed series of video conversations with leading underwater image makers about topics that are of interest to all those that venture beneath the surface with a camera,” it launched July 10, 2020 with the first episode covering “5 important tips for those starting out as underwater photographers.” ([43], [44])
Wetpixel Live grew rapidly: the YouTube channel produced 302 episodes (numbered to 264, plus extras) totaling ~89 hours with ~329,000 total views, covering topics from dome port essentials to strobe triggering advice to camera body reviews. It featured 15 guest experts and was sponsored by Nauticam, Backscatter, Ikelite, Inon, Seacam, and others. Wetpixel also organized a Virtual Trade Show in 2021–2022 when DEMA attendance was impractical. The series ended in January 2024, with Mustard launching a successor show. See Wetpixel Live for full coverage.
Cenote workshops with Natalie Gibb (2021–2022)
Among the first post-pandemic in-person events Wetpixel organized were cenote photography workshops in Mexico in partnership with underwater photography educator Natalie Gibb (2021–2022). These workshops reflected Hanlon’s continued effort to maintain Wetpixel’s expedition and workshop program despite the pandemic disruption.
DPG/Wetpixel Masters competition
Beginning around 2020, the DPG/Wetpixel Masters competition — previously associated with Our World Underwater and DivePhotoGuide — was rebranded to more prominently feature the Wetpixel name, cementing Wetpixel’s identity as a major competition organizer alongside its editorial function.
Decline (2022–present)
In April 2022, Hanlon implemented admin-approved memberships due to scammers targeting the Classifieds section: “We have a small number of unscrupulous individuals trying to defraud community members in the Classifieds.” He called it a “short term change.” ([45])
In July 2022, Adam Hanlon claimed he had suffered a heart attack. Publishing began to slow noticeably; Hanlon was absent from DEMA 2022, marking an unusual gap for a site that had covered every DEMA since 2001. Hanlon was absent from DEMA 2022 — “I was sadly unable to attend” ([46]) — and cited the heart attack in his later DeeperBlue rebuttal, but no independent medical confirmation appears in the record; Alex Mustard later documented that Hanlon was teaching a workshop via Zoom in May 2023 and working as a dive instructor while claiming to be too ill to process payments ([47]).
In June 2023, Alex Mustard publicly revealed that Hanlon had been “really unwell, especially so for the last few months,” explaining the absence of front page updates since April 8, 2023. ([48]) The last article published on Wetpixel appeared in April 2023.
In August 2023, multiple community threads addressed Wetpixel’s future:
- Moderator Tim G confirmed that moderators had “no access to the metrics” and “no admin access” to the site infrastructure: “It remains the case that Adam is the owner and controls Wetpixel.” ([49])
- Community member Interceptor121 raised concerns about site preservation: “I am concerned that with the current status of wetpixel trips and people complaints this website and forum will come to an end when the hosting fees are expired.” ([50])
- Community member “waterpixel” downloaded 294 of 301 Wetpixel Live YouTube videos (65 GB) as an archival preservation effort. ([51])
- User KeithG questioned: “Is wetpixel.com dying? Or maybe already dead and it does not know it yet?” ([52])
Financial controversy
In the aftermath, Hanlon cited his illness as the reason he could not process refunds and payments — but continued accepting payments for forthcoming expeditions ([53], [54]). Multiple customers accused him of withholding payments collected for Wetpixel-organized dive trips, with community estimates reaching in excess of $100,000 total (Mustard’s own calculation: “well over 100,000 dollars” in [55]). The withheld funds included dive operator fees, gratuities pre-collected from guests and never passed through to boat and resort staff ([56], [57]), workshop instructor fees, and refunds owed to participants who cancelled or were replaced ([58]). Community member “Draq” documented a specific loss of $8,600 for a liveaboard trip where money was collected “long after he failed to pay for the boat” and “pocketed the money.” Draq wrote: “Adam Hanlon and Wetpixel are one and the same, and they ripped me off, along with many others.” ([59])
A September 2023 investigation by John Bantin in Undercurrent Magazine documented an estimated $60,000+ in funds collected from readers for trips that were allegedly not fully booked or paid for — including an Indonesia liveaboard where divers arrived to find the boat unpaid, and Lembeh Resort workshops featuring Alex Mustard where the resort reportedly could not get confirmation or payment despite repeated contact attempts. Mustard himself was reportedly unpaid for workshop fees.
Hanlon disputed many of the specific claims in a rebuttal to DeeperBlue.com, citing his heart attack and asserting he was working to repay those owed. He denied organizing any new trips after July 21, 2022.
Community member “oneyellowtang,” analyzing the site’s advertising state, observed that the banner ads were “all quite old, and haven’t been changed (at all) over the last number of months” and estimated the site was receiving “$0” in ad revenue. They estimated the Wetpixel Live YouTube series could have generated approximately $175/year based on views and subscribers. ([60])
Lockdown and aftermath
Following the controversy, Hanlon restricted forum access to approved members only, deleted complaint threads, and banned members who raised concerns. He also pre-emptively suspended Eric Cheng’s forum account — without ever contacting the co-founder — which is why Cheng appears as “Guest echeng” throughout the forum archive. Despite being listed as Senior Advisor on the Wetpixel masthead, Cheng was locked out of the community he had built. Hanlon deactivated his social media accounts and essentially disappeared from the internet ([61]); when one community member attempted to reach him through his wife’s Facebook page, it went private within days ([62]). New membership requests went unprocessed for months. As the sole administrator, Hanlon became increasingly unreachable. Moderators lacked authority to fix the issues. Forum member chrisross noted that “new members still can’t join and the forum is not viewable by guests any longer, nor can it be archived by the wayback machine or crawled by search engines.” ([63])
In April 2024, moderator Tim G confirmed: “As far as I’m aware precisely nothing has been done or happened. There has been no word from Adam. The site continues as, for the moment, no interventions are necessary. Nothing is being updated in the background that we know of. At some stage licenses will need renewing or updating. Then comes the acid test.” ([64])
On April 16, 2024, Wetpixel Ltd was officially dissolved by UK Companies House for failure to file required accounts. Community member mackman noted: “Sadly it looks like Wetpixel LTD has officially been dissolved due to lack of recent required filings. It had a good run.” ([65])
- 2023-12: Waterpixels.net launched as a community successor, reaching 500+ members within months. Moderator Tim G recommended it to members: “Waterpixels is relatively new and started in December. 500 members already and it’s lively, informative and current. Lots of Wetpixelers have joined.” ([66])
- 2024: Site experienced outages due to hosting migrations with DNS records not updated because Hanlon was unreachable.
- 2025: The DPG Masters competition dropped “Wetpixel” from its name.
The site remains technically accessible but is effectively dormant — a quiet end to what was, for over two decades, the center of the underwater photography world.
Editorial team
- David Breitigam: Creator and business partner (2000–~2003)
- Eric Cheng: Community builder, CEO, Publisher (2001–2018; sole owner from ~2003)
- Adam Hanlon: Editor (2011–present), Owner (2018–present) — ~4,930 articles posted (~200 guest contributions)
- Alex Mustard: Associate editor — 7,100+ forum posts
- Drew Wong: Associate editor, video guru — 7,800+ forum posts, 89 articles
- Abi Smigel Mullens: Associate editor — 728 articles
- Matt Segal: Article author — 354 articles
Moderating team
The Wetpixel team expanded as the community grew: (forum community)
- 2002–2005: James Wiseman and Alex Mustard served as co-administrators; Herb Ko and Craig Jones as moderators.
- 2005-09: Eric Cheng expanded the team: Todd Mintz, Dave Burroughs, Julian Scheunemann, Mike Veitch, Mark Thorpe, Leslie Harris, Drew Wong (as “video expert”), Luiz Rocha, James Wood, and William Heaton. ([67])
- 2005-09: Launched Scientific Photography Forum in partnership with Dr. James B. Wood (The Cephalopod Page/CephBase). ([68])
- 2006-05: Paul Waghorn (“Wags”) appointed video moderator; ran HDVUnderwater.com for community video hosting. ([69])
- 2009-02: Four new moderators: Darren Jew (photovan), Ryan Pedlow (aussie), Giles Shaxted, Ellen Quale (ornate_wrasse). ([70])
Wetpixel Quarterly staff
Wetpixel Quarterly Issue 2 (January 2008) listed the full staff photographer roster: Alex Mustard, Eric Cheng, Mike Veitch, Luiz Rocha, Cor Bosman, Julie Edwards, Herb Ko, James Wiseman, Todd Mintz, Matt Segal, Elijah Woolery, William Heaton, Leslie Harris. Based at 434 Napa St., Sausalito, CA 94965. ([71])
Community features
Forums
The heart of Wetpixel. Expert-oriented discussions on gear, technique, destinations, and conservation across 15 forums in five categories: Gear and Tips, The Galley, Planet Earth, Administration, and Other. Key contributors by post count: James Wiseman (8,600+), Drew Wong (7,800+), Alex Mustard (7,100+). The forums also served as a commercial channel: publishers approached members about image licensing after seeing work posted in forum threads. ([72])
Photo contests
- Bi-monthly photo contests (2003–2004+): Themed competitions with sponsor prizes and expert juries.
- POTW (Photo of the Week): Ran to at least #331 by early 2010 with themed weekly categories. Partnership contest with DivePhotoGuide and Our World Underwater. Added public voting support in 2007. ([73])
- Annual “Favourite Image of the Year”: Tradition from at least 2005, started each year by Alex Mustard. Reflected the evolution of community image quality over time.
Wetpixel Live (YouTube series)
Launched June 28, 2020 during the pandemic, co-hosted by Adam Hanlon and Alex Mustard. Produced 302 episodes (numbered to 264, plus extras) totaling ~89 hours with ~329,000 views across nearly three years. Topics covered the full spectrum of underwater photography: gear (strobes, lenses, housings, ports), technique (lighting, exposure, composition, autofocus), workflow (Lightroom, color science, publishing), competition reviews (UPY, WPotY, Ocean Art), location guides, conservation, and business advice. Featured 15 guest experts including Edward Lai (Nauticam), Daniel Keller (Keldan), Mike Bartick, Erin Quigley, and Natalie Gibb. Hosted a Virtual Trade Show in 2021–2022 replacing DEMA. Series ended January 2024; Mustard launched The Underwater Photography Show as a successor. Community member “waterpixel” archived 294 of 301 videos (65 GB) in August 2023 as a preservation effort. ([74], [75], [76])
Wetpixel Expeditions
Photography-focused dive trips for advanced underwater photographers, organized first by Eric Cheng and later by Adam Hanlon. See Organized expeditions below.
Community traditions
The Wetpixel forums were the community’s heart, generating distinct traditions documented across thousands of threads: (forum community)
- Member Introductions: The highest-engagement thread on Wetpixel (3,746 replies), moderated by James Wiseman. The original 2002 intro thread (844 replies) was eventually closed and replaced.
- Newbie gear guidance: Drew Wong organized quarterly “What New System Did You Buy?” threads, “in the tradition of Mr Wetpixel himself” (Eric Cheng). Classic advice: 50+ dives before a P&S camera, 100+ before a DSLR.
- DEMA meetups: Eric Cheng organized informal Wetpixel meetups at DEMA shows (Rosen Centre pool bar, DEMA 2006 Orlando; joint cocktail party with DivePhotoGuide, Las Vegas Hilton, DEMA 2008). ([77])
- Wetpixel Google Map (2008): Cor Bosman built a Google Maps member map linking forum location fields. ([78])
- Community charity: Katrina Relief Auction (2005), Oxfam Asia Pacific drive (2009). ([79], [80])
- Wetpixel t-shirts and merchandise: Community t-shirts designed and sold; “Team Wetpixel” stickers distributed. ([81], [82])
Organized expeditions
Wetpixel organized recurring community dive trips documented in forum threads: (forum community)
- Wetpixel/JASA Sharks & Dolphins (with Jim Abernethy, aboard Shearwater): Recurring Bahamas trips; Alex Mustard documented July 2008 trip in detail. ([83])
- Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia (aboard Damai II): Eric Cheng led 2011 trip (87 dives, Alor/Komodo, 9 guests) and 2012 trip (Ambon, Banda, Triton Bay). ([84])
- Wetpixel Whale Sharks (Isla Mujeres): Alex Mustard led 2012 trip; 300-400 whale sharks. Annual expeditions continued through at least 2017. ([85])
- Wetpixel Lembeh Workshops: Adam Hanlon + Alex Mustard led 2013 workshop with 33 photographers. ([86])
- Wetpixel Bahamas Goliath Groupers (2010): Eric Cheng at Jupiter FL; David Doubilet and Jen Hayes also present. ([87])
- Wetpixel Sardine Run (South Africa): Eric Cheng and Drew Wong coordinated trips in 2006 and 2008 (skipped 2007). ZAR 33,500–39,000 for 11–15 days with max 5 passengers. ([88])
- Wetpixel Sperm Whales (Ogasawara, Japan): Eric Cheng led October 2009 expedition. ([89])
- Wetpixel PNG Eastern Fields (2012): Eric Cheng led trip with Tony Wu. ([90])
- Wetpixel Solomon Islands (2007): ([91])
- Wetpixel Oceanic Whitetips (2015): ([92])
- Wetpixel Red Sea (2022–2023): Among the last announced trips before the financial controversy.
- Post-DEMA Crystal River manatee trips: Adam Hanlon established this tradition starting 2011.
Platform history
For a detailed visual history of every design era with Wayback Machine snapshot URLs, see Wetpixel Design History.
Key technical and design milestones:
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-03 | Launch | Static HTML page by David Breitigam |
| 2002 | Forum launch | XMB forum software |
| 2004-01 | Version 3.0 | Migration to IPB (Invision Power Board) |
| 2005-02 | Major redesign | Exhibition Engine + IPB 2.0, dedicated dual-CPU server, RSS feeds, member blogs, community galleries |
| 2006 | Podcast partnership | DiveFilm video podcasts via iTunes |
| 2008-01 | DDoS attack | Server and network switch taken down |
| 2008-07 | Software upgrade | Cor Bosman + Eric Cheng |
| 2009 | Social media expansion | Facebook, Twitter, Flickr groups |
| 2013-02 | Major redesign | ”Full Frame” photo essay feature, Tapatalk mobile support |
| 2017 | Forum fraud warning | Compromised accounts used for Western Union/MoneyGram scams |
| 2018-12 | Ownership transfer | Eric Cheng to Adam Hanlon |
| 2019-07 | Server migration | Arcustech LLC hosting, managed by Tom St. George |
| 2020-07 | Wetpixel Live launch | YouTube video series, 300+ episodes |
| 2022-04 | Admin-approved membership | Anti-scam measure; became permanent bottleneck |
| 2023-04 | Last article published | |
| 2024-04 | Wetpixel Ltd dissolved | UK Companies House, failure to file accounts |
Significance
Wetpixel’s significance to the underwater photography world includes:
- Digital transition hub: Launched in 2000, the year before the Nikonos V was discontinued, and grew precisely as digital alternatives were proliferating. Became the central resource for photographers navigating the film-to-digital transition.
- Gear influence: Forum discussions were arguably the most influential factor in housing and strobe purchasing decisions for serious underwater photographers. Manufacturers monitored the forums closely and sometimes responded directly to user feedback.
- Community building: Connected geographically isolated underwater photographers into a global community of 35,000+ members. As Herb Ko noted in 2005, he found Wetpixel “around the end of the year 2000 BE (before Eric)” — illustrating how the site predated the community it would create. ([93])
- Talent development: Competition wins and community recognition on Wetpixel helped establish careers for underwater photographers worldwide. Forum posts showed up in search engines, leading publishers to approach members about image licensing. ([94])
- Manufacturer channel: Companies like Nauticam, Ikelite, Inon, Retra, and Backscatter used Wetpixel as a primary communication channel with their user base.
- Knowledge archive: The 302 Wetpixel Live episodes (~89 hours) and 400,000+ forum posts constitute the most comprehensive archive of underwater photography knowledge ever assembled in one place.
Related sites
| Site | Relationship |
|---|---|
| DivePhotoGuide.com | Partner; co-hosted competitions and DEMA events |
| Waterpixels.net | Successor community (launched December 2023) |
| DPReview UW Forum | Complementary; broader photography audience |
| UwP Magazine | Complementary; editorial publication |
| UW Photography Guide | Complementary; tutorial-focused |
| ScubaBoard UW Photo Forum | Complementary; diving-focused |
| DigitalDiver.net | Competitor (US-focused); Bob F created Strobe Finder database |
| DigiDeep.com | Competitor (European-focused); Andi Voeltz |
| Steve’s Digicams | Predecessor; Breitigam moderated UW forum there before Wetpixel had its own |
References
- Wetpixel — Wikipedia
- About Wetpixel
- DivePhotoGuide — Wetpixel redesign
- DeeperBlue.com — Wetpixel owner Adam Hanlon faces accusations of withholding payments — journalism (Stephan Whelan, September 2023)
- NWP Photo Forum — Interview with Eric Cheng — interview (2005)
Sources
- Forum thread: Wetpixel A Breath Of Fresh Air ↩
- Forum thread: Online Courses ↩
- Forum thread: How Did You Find Wetpixel ↩
- Forum thread: Whats Busted On The Message Board ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 22, 2002: Dema 2002 Report ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2003: Bi Monthly Photo Contest ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 6, 2003: Wetpixels 1000th Forum Member ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 18, 2003: Wetpixel Surpasses 250000 Unique Visitors ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 28, 2003: Antibes Festival 2003 Coverage ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2003: Wetpixel Wins At Antibes ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 23, 2004: Wetpixel V30 ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Migration Thread Jan 2004 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 28, 2004: Wetpixel Unveils Classifieds Section ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 24, 2004: Wetpixel Launches Photo Contest ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 27, 2004: Alex Mustard Joins Wetpixel ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2004: Wetpixels 2000th Forum Member ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 21, 2004: Wetpixel Announces Bi Monthly Photo Contest ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 21, 2004: Wetpixel Marchapril Contest Winners ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 25, 2004: Wetpixel Server Status Important ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 26, 2005: New Wetpixel Design ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 13, 2005: Wetpixel Hits 4000 Members ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 8, 2005: Wetpixels Reaches 10000 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 29, 2005: Wetpixel Receives Scuba Diving Magazine Editors Choice ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 6, 2005: Charity Auction Galapagos Expedition October 9 23 2005 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2005: Wetpixelcom Divephotoguidecom International Photo Competition ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 10, 2006: Wetpixel Partners With Divefilm For Video Podcasts ↩
- Forum thread: Please Help Keep Wetpixel On Wikipedia ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Takes Over Inon Artist Of The Month ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Hit By Ddos Attack Last Night ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Google Map ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Software Upgraded ↩
- Forum thread: Changes Due To Spammers On Wetpixel ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixels Greater Online Community ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Charity Drive For Oxfam Asia Pacific Disaster Fund ↩
- Forum thread: Adam Hanlon Appointed As Wetpixel Editor ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Redesign Feedback ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 30, 2018: Change Of Ownership At Wetpixel ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Changes Ownership ↩
- Forum thread: What Is The Story Of Wetpixels Survival ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Defrauding Customers And Others ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixel Planned Outage Weds 24 July 2019 ↩
- Forum thread: What Is The Story Of Wetpixels Survival ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2020: Announcing Wetpixel Live ↩
- Forum thread: Announcing Wetpixel Live ↩
- Forum thread: Membership Change Please Read ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 8, 2022: Dema 2022 Coverage From Tom St George ↩
- Forum thread: Wetpixeltravel Issues ↩
- Forum thread: Front Page Updated Announcements ↩
- Forum thread: Is Wetpixelcom Dead Or Dying ↩
- Forum thread: Preservation Of Wetpixel ↩
- Forum thread: Preservation Of Wetpixel ↩
- Forum thread: Is Wetpixelcom Dead Or Dying ↩
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