Matt Segal

Aliases: matt segal, segal3, Guest segal3
Role: Wetpixel administrator, underwater photographer, gear/news reporter
First appearance: 2003 (forums, as segal3); 2005 (first article, July)
Affiliation: Wetpixel; University of Southern California (Aerospace Engineering)
Personal website: carbonos.com

Biography

Matt Segal is a Southern California native from Calabasas who became the youngest member of the Wetpixel team and one of its most prolific contributors. A National Merit Scholar, Segal studied Aerospace Engineering at the University of Southern California on a full scholarship ([1]). He learned to dive in the Cayman Islands at age 15 after a knee injury sidelined him from other activities, and began underwater photography (and photography in general) in late 2003 ([2]). He spent much of his time diving the local Channel Islands as well as locations in the South Pacific and Caribbean, including Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands ([3]).

Segal shot a Canon 20D in an Ikelite housing with two DS-125 strobes and was a participating member of the Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society (LAUPS) ([4]).

Eric Cheng called him “the young administrator (and underwater photographer) that keeps Wetpixel running behind the scenes,” noting that “anyone who has sent a support request into Wetpixel has probably (eventually) gotten a reply back from Matt” ([5]). Eric also joked about his youth: “Maybe this year, he won’t get carded while trying to get into DEMA” ([6]). This became a running joke --- at the 2009 SDUPS Film Festival, Eric noted it was “an opportunity to see why Wetpixel admin Matt Segal was asked for his ID before being allowed to enter the DEMA show floor” ([7]).

By 2011, at age 25, Segal described himself as pursuing “his dual interests of aerospace engineering and underwater photography while based in Southern California” and having “supported Wetpixel since 2006” ([8]). He noted that he “enjoys diving the warm waters of the tropical oceans but is equally as interested in capturing images from the icy arctic regions” ([9]).

Contributions

Wetpixel Administration

Segal officially joined the Wetpixel moderation team on August 14, 2006, announced by Eric Cheng, who noted he was “by far the youngest moderator in the Wetpixel volunteer staff” ([10]). By 2008, he had risen to “administrator” status and was a core member of the Wetpixel and Wetpixel Quarterly team at DEMA, alongside Eric Cheng, Adam Lau (intern), Michaela Brockstedt (marketing), and Elijah Woolery (editor and creative editor) ([11]). Eric referred to him as “administrator extraordinaire” ahead of DEMA 2008, noting “I look forward to seeing him get carded at the door” ([12]).

Segal handled Wetpixel support requests and administrative operations behind the scenes throughout his tenure ([13]).

DEMA Show Coverage

Matt Segal’s signature contribution to Wetpixel was exhaustive booth-by-booth DEMA Show coverage across four consecutive years (2006—2009), producing approximately 38 DEMA-related articles. His coverage served as the community’s primary window into gear launches and industry developments at the diving industry’s largest trade show.

A hallmark anecdote: after DEMA 2008, Segal “rushed back home after DEMA to take a midterm” at USC, balancing his academic responsibilities with trade show reporting ([21]).

News and Gear Reporting

Segal authored 354 articles over a roughly five-year span (2005—2011), with the vast majority concentrated in 2006—2008 during his USC years. His article output made him the fourth most prolific Wetpixel article author. His coverage spanned several major categories:

DIY Technical Writing

Segal’s first article for Wetpixel was a detailed technical piece on adding USB connectivity through an Ikelite housing, using a sync-cord bulkhead to enable tethered camera download without opening the housing. The modification used the five-pin Ikelite sync cord to carry the four-pin USB signal, required creative shielding solutions (aluminum foil wrapping, plastic spacers), and enabled both file transfer and remote camera control via Canon Capture software --- opening possibilities for polecam and underwater time-lapse photography ([27]).

Wetpixel Quarterly

Segal was a featured staff photographer in issue #2 of Wetpixel Quarterly magazine (January 2008), alongside Alex Mustard, Eric Cheng, Mike Veitch, Luiz Rocha, Cor Bosman, Julie Edwards, Herb Ko, James Wiseman, Todd Mintz, Elijah Woolery, William Heaton, and Leslie Harris ([28]).

Expedition Reports and Fieldwork

Sixgill Sharks in Seattle (2008)

In August 2008, Segal joined Eric Cheng and Simon Rogerson (editor of Dive Magazine) aboard the M/V Katherine Jane with Team Hydrus in Seattle to photograph sixgill sharks (Hexanchus griseus) in Puget Sound. The team conducted night dives to observe the sharks, which typically rise from deep water “between 9:30pm and 10:30pm.” They were rewarded with multiple sixgill encounters ([29], [30]).

A crew from Oregon Public Broadcasting joined the charter to gather footage for a sixgill shark segment on Oregon Field Guide, which aired in 2009. Eric joked that “young Segal was cut from the show” ([31]). The Seattle trip also introduced Wetpixel to the Pacific Northwest dive community, leading to their attendance at the Northwest Dive and Travel Expo in Tacoma in 2009 ([32]).

Ultimate Indonesia Expedition (2008—2009)

Segal participated in the Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia expedition, which the team described as having “the most Wetpixel moderators of any trip in history.” Aboard the Seven Seas were Eric Cheng, Matt Segal, Cor Bosman, Julie Edwards, and Craig Jones, with Drew Wong meeting them in Bali. The group logged over 130 dives across 40 days in Sorong, Misool, Halmahera, Seram, Ambon, Gunung Api, and Alor, photographing Rhinopias, blue-ringed octopi, wunderpusses, mimic octopi, frogfishes, Bobbit worms, and more ([33]).

Wetpixel Alaska Expedition (2011)

Segal co-authored the trip report for the Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 with Jason Bradley. The 12-day expedition aboard the Nautilus Swell traveled from Juneau to Sitka, with highlights including:

Community Events

Segal attended and photographed the SDUPS (San Diego Underwater Photographic Society) 40th Annual Film Festival in April 2009, taking photos alongside Allison Vitsky ([39]). In 2011, he organized a Channel Islands diving weekend bringing together the major California underwater photographic societies --- LAUPS, NCUPS, OCUPS, and Monterey Peninsula --- for three days of diving on the Truth Aquatics Conception with photographers Jason Bradley, Kevin McDonnell, and Chuck Davis leading an on-the-boat imaging seminar ([40]).

Community Advocacy

Segal was a prominent voice in the article comments during the 2008 Markus Groh/Jim Abernethy/Shear Water incident, posting three lengthy comments totaling over 5,900 characters. He expressed personal condolences, advocated for accurate reporting about Abernethy’s operation (which he had witnessed firsthand), and forwarded concerns to George Burgess of the International Shark Attack Files about the mischaracterization of Abernethy’s dives as “shark feeding.” (article comments)

Competition Results

YearCompetitionPlacementEntry
2005LAUPS International, West Coast Cold Water5th Place”Sleek” ([41])
2007LAUPS International, Macro PrintsHonorable Mention”Jeweled” ([42])
2007LAUPS International, Wide Angle DigitalHonorable Mention”Light Beam” ([43])
2007Underwater Images Photo/VideoWinner (category unspecified)([44])

Article Output by Year

YearArticlesNotes
20051USB housing mod --- first article
200651Joined moderation team Aug 14; DEMA 2006 coverage
2007154Peak year; DEMA 2007 booth-by-booth; heavy competition and gear reporting
2008121DEMA 2008, Photokina 2008, WPQ team, sixgill sharks
200925Tapering off; DEMA 2009, Ultimate Indonesia
20112Final articles: Channel Islands weekend, Alaska expedition trip report

Forum Activity

Under the username segal3 (appearing as “Guest segal3” in the forum archive), Segal contributed 734 forum posts across the Wetpixel forums from 2003 through 2012, with peak activity during his article-writing years of 2006—2009. His forum presence complemented his editorial output, with an activity score of 738 in the forum database.

Timeline

References

Sources

  1. Wetpixel article, Aug 14, 2006: Matt Segal Joins Wetpixel Moderation Team ↩
  2. Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2005: Adding Usb Connectivity To Your U W Housing ↩
  3. Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2005: Adding Usb Connectivity To Your U W Housing ↩
  4. Wetpixel article, Aug 14, 2006: Matt Segal Joins Wetpixel Moderation Team ↩
  5. Wetpixel article, Jun 21, 2008: Happy Birthday To Matt Segal ↩
  6. Wetpixel article, Jun 21, 2008: Happy Birthday To Matt Segal ↩
  7. Wetpixel article, Apr 29, 2009: Photos From Sdups Film Festival Evening ↩
  8. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  9. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  10. Wetpixel article, Aug 14, 2006: Matt Segal Joins Wetpixel Moderation Team ↩
  11. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2008: Dema 2008 Wetpixel ↩
  12. Wetpixel article, Oct 21, 2008: Dema 2008 Day 0 Exhibitor Set Up ↩
  13. Wetpixel article, Jun 21, 2008: Happy Birthday To Matt Segal ↩
  14. Wetpixel article, Nov 15, 2006: Dema 2006 Socialing Wetpixel Happy Hour Nov 10 ↩
  15. Wetpixel article, Nov 10, 2006: Dema 2006 Gates Video Tripod ↩
  16. Wetpixel article, Nov 4, 2007: Dema 2007 Show Coverage ↩
  17. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2008: Dema 2008 Wetpixel ↩
  18. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2008: Dema 2008 People Pictures Day 3 4 ↩
  19. Wetpixel article, Nov 6, 2009: Dema 2009 Day 2 Booth Coverage Insanity ↩
  20. Wetpixel article, Nov 5, 2009: Dema 2009 Day 1 Coverage ↩
  21. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2008: Dema 2008 Wetpixel ↩
  22. Wetpixel article, Nov 30, 2007: Laups 2007 Contest Winners Announced ↩
  23. Wetpixel article, Oct 7, 2008: Final Coverage From Photokina 2008 ↩
  24. Wetpixel article, Aug 18, 2006: California Establishes Marine Preserves ↩
  25. Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2007: Mexico Passes Shark Finning Ban ↩
  26. Wetpixel article, Oct 7, 2008: Final Coverage From Photokina 2008 ↩
  27. Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2005: Adding Usb Connectivity To Your U W Housing ↩
  28. Wetpixel article, Jan 21, 2008: Wetpixel Ships Issue 2 Of Wetpixel Quarterly ↩
  29. Wetpixel article, Aug 13, 2008: Six Gill Sharks In Seattle ↩
  30. Wetpixel article, Aug 29, 2008: Diving With Sixgill Sharks In Seattle ↩
  31. Wetpixel article, Oct 26, 2009: Sixgill Sharks In Seattle Segment On Opb ↩
  32. Wetpixel article, Apr 22, 2009: Wetpixel Will Be At The Northwest Dive And Travel Expo This Weekend ↩
  33. Wetpixel article, Apr 15, 2009: Cor Bosman And Craig Jones Post Ultimate Indonesia Trip Reports ↩
  34. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  35. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  36. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  37. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  38. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  39. Wetpixel article, Apr 28, 2009: Leandro Blanco Wins Sdups 40th Annual Film Festival ↩
  40. Wetpixel article, Jul 4, 2011: Channel Islands Weekend With Underwater Photo Societies ↩
  41. Wetpixel article, Oct 24, 2005: Laups 2005 Contest Winners Posted ↩
  42. Wetpixel article, Nov 30, 2007: Laups 2007 Contest Winners Announced ↩
  43. Wetpixel article, Nov 30, 2007: Laups 2007 Contest Winners Announced ↩
  44. Wetpixel article, Mar 14, 2007: Underwater Images Photo Video 2007 Winners Announced ↩
  45. Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2005: Adding Usb Connectivity To Your U W Housing ↩
  46. Wetpixel article, Oct 24, 2005: Laups 2005 Contest Winners Posted ↩
  47. Wetpixel article, Aug 14, 2006: Matt Segal Joins Wetpixel Moderation Team ↩
  48. Wetpixel article, Nov 15, 2006: Dema 2006 Socialing Wetpixel Happy Hour Nov 10 ↩
  49. Wetpixel article, Nov 10, 2006: Dema 2006 Gates Video Tripod ↩
  50. Wetpixel article, Mar 14, 2007: Underwater Images Photo Video 2007 Winners Announced ↩
  51. Wetpixel article, Nov 4, 2007: Dema 2007 Show Coverage ↩
  52. Wetpixel article, Nov 30, 2007: Laups 2007 Contest Winners Announced ↩
  53. Wetpixel article, Jan 21, 2008: Wetpixel Ships Issue 2 Of Wetpixel Quarterly ↩
  54. Wetpixel article, Jun 21, 2008: Happy Birthday To Matt Segal ↩
  55. Wetpixel article, Aug 13, 2008: Six Gill Sharks In Seattle ↩
  56. Wetpixel article, Aug 29, 2008: Diving With Sixgill Sharks In Seattle ↩
  57. Wetpixel article, Oct 7, 2008: Final Coverage From Photokina 2008 ↩
  58. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2008: Dema 2008 Wetpixel ↩
  59. Wetpixel article, Apr 15, 2009: Cor Bosman And Craig Jones Post Ultimate Indonesia Trip Reports ↩
  60. Wetpixel article, Apr 28, 2009: Leandro Blanco Wins Sdups 40th Annual Film Festival ↩
  61. Wetpixel article, Oct 26, 2009: Sixgill Sharks In Seattle Segment On Opb ↩
  62. Wetpixel article, Nov 6, 2009: Dema 2009 Day 2 Booth Coverage Insanity ↩
  63. Wetpixel article, Jul 4, 2011: Channel Islands Weekend With Underwater Photo Societies ↩
  64. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2011: Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report ↩
  65. Adding USB Connectivity to your U/W Housing (2005) (article) ↩
  66. LAUPS 2005 Contest Winners (article) ↩
  67. Matt Segal joins Wetpixel moderation team (2006) (article) ↩
  68. DEMA 2006: Gates video tripod (article) ↩
  69. DEMA 2006: Socialing, Wetpixel happy hour (article) ↩
  70. Underwater Images Photo/Video 2007 winners (article) ↩
  71. DEMA 2007 Official Wetpixel Show Coverage (article) ↩
  72. LAUPS 2007 contest winners announced (article) ↩
  73. Wetpixel ships issue #2 of Wetpixel Quarterly (2008) (article) ↩
  74. Happy Birthday to Matt Segal (2008) (article) ↩
  75. Six-gill sharks in Seattle (2008) (article) ↩
  76. Diving with sixgill sharks in Seattle (2008) (article) ↩
  77. Final coverage from Photokina 2008: Seacam update (article) ↩
  78. DEMA 2008: Day 0, Exhibitor set-up (article) ↩
  79. DEMA 2008: Wetpixel (article) ↩
  80. DEMA 2008: People Pictures, Day 3/4 (article) ↩
  81. Cor Bosman and Craig Jones post Ultimate Indonesia trip reports (2009) (article) ↩
  82. Wetpixel will be at the Northwest Dive and Travel Expo (2009) (article) ↩
  83. Leandro Blanco wins SDUPS 40th Annual Film Festival (2009) (article) ↩
  84. Photos from SDUPS Film Festival evening (2009) (article) ↩
  85. Sixgill sharks in Seattle, segment on OPB (2009) (article) ↩
  86. DEMA Show 2009: Day 1 coverage (article) ↩
  87. DEMA Show 2009: Day 2 - Booth coverage insanity (article) ↩
  88. California establishes Marine Preserves (2006) (article) ↩
  89. Mexico passes shark finning ban (2007) (article) ↩
  90. Channel Islands Weekend with Underwater Photo Societies (2011) (article) ↩
  91. Wetpixel Alaska Expedition 2011 Trip Report (article) ↩