Norbert Wu

Aliases: Norb, norbertwu
Role: Underwater photographer, cinematographer, author, filmmaker
First appearance: 2004 (^[1])
Affiliation: Norbert Wu Productions (independent)
Website: norbertwu.com

Biography

Norbert Wu is an independent photographer and filmmaker specializing in marine and wildlife subjects. His writing and photography have appeared in thousands of books, films, and magazines. He is the author and photographer of seventeen books on wildlife and photography and the originator and photographer for several children’s book series on the oceans. Exhibits of his work have been shown at the American Museum of Natural History, the California Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art (^[2]).

Education and early career

Wu grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and wanted to become a marine biologist from the age of six. He spent summers snorkeling in Florida waters. He attended college in California — Stanford University — where he earned degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering (with a computer science specialty in his master’s), choosing the pragmatic path over marine biology (^[3]). After graduating, he worked as a software analyst/systems analyst in Silicon Valley for about nine months before leaving for an extremely low-paying job as a research diver with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on one of the San Blas Islands of Panama (^[4]).

Before heading to San Blas, Wu had no previous interest in photography, but he purchased books on the subject along with a Nikonos camera system with extension tubes and close-up attachment. During his four months in the San Blas Islands, he shot only about ten rolls of film, yet those images — including a spotjaw blenny close-up used as a NOVA show cover — have been published repeatedly. This experience established his specialty: extended, in-depth observation of marine life rather than hurried weekend shoots (^[5]).

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Wu subsequently spent two years as a doctoral student in Applied Ocean Sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California (approximately 1988). He had arrived at Scripps already a serious underwater photographer with published work in Sea Frontiers and Underwater USA. However, he found that no advisor shared his interest in combining underwater photography with oceanography — his first advisor wanted him to work on a gravity meter, his second on underwater optics. Wu was “completely and totally fascinated by marine life rather than the physics of water” (^[6]).

During this period, Wu took his first course in ichthyology under Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, curator of the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps, whose encyclopedic natural history knowledge deeply influenced him. He also photographed deep-sea specimens from research trawls, producing his famous deep-sea anglerfish image — a photograph of Melanocetus johnsoni with its bioluminescent lure that was published on the cover of TIME magazine in 1995 and on dozens of other magazine covers over the years (^[7]).

Wu visited Howard Hall in San Diego, whose book Successful Underwater Photography had been Wu’s “Bible.” Hall invited Wu shark diving off the San Diego coast, where Wu got his first glimpse of wild sharks. Wu later worked as an assistant diver on Hall’s film Seasons on the Sea, which won numerous awards. He also dove with blue and mako sharks off San Diego with Marty Snyderman and Bob Cranston, who ran a shark diving business there (^[8]).

Antarctic work

Wu received three National Science Foundation (NSF) Artists and Writers Grants to document wildlife and research in Antarctica in 1997, 1999, and 2000. In 2000, he was awarded the Antarctica Service Medal of the United States of America “for his contributions to exploration and science in the U.S. Antarctic Program.” He pioneered high-definition underwater filmmaking in Antarctica, producing an HDTV program on Antarctica’s underwater world for Thirteen/WNET New York’s Nature series on PBS — one of the earliest HD nature documentaries shot underwater (^[9]).

His Antarctic fieldwork included filming orcas swimming down newly opened leads in sea ice at McMurdo Sound. Wu documented that it was his film crew — not scientists — who first dove with the orcas, though media coverage frequently attributed such work to researchers. He was critical of how the media devalues professional photographers by implying their presence is merely to document research (^[10]).

For his Antarctic diving, Wu used Cressi full-foot Frog fins and later transitioned to the Inspiration rebreather. He dove with Howard Hall and Bob Cranston at Cocos Island, and with NOAA diving officer Doug Kesling and crew at the University of North Carolina, diving with double tanks at 150-foot depths in strong currents while carrying large HDCAM housings (^[11]).

Awards and recognition

Wu is one of only two photographers ever to receive a Pew Marine Conservation Fellowship, the world’s most prestigious award in ocean conservation and outreach. In 2004, he was named “Outstanding Photographer of the Year” by the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), the highest honor an American nature photographer can be given by his peers (^[12]).

His fluorescing coral photograph was featured as the daily image on Microsoft’s Bing search page. He had been licensing images to Microsoft since the 1990s, starting with the Encarta CD-ROM encyclopedia (^[13]).

In 2017, his great white shark photograph was selected for the USPS Sharks Forever Stamps, one of five stamps celebrating iconic shark species. The stamps aimed to highlight sharks’ role in the oceans and offset their demonization in society (^[14]).

Personal details

Wu lives on Monterey Bay in California, where water temperatures range from 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. He is Chinese-American. He describes himself as 5 feet 6 inches tall, short and round, with small feet (size 7.5) and short legs. He is a long-time Macintosh user, having started with the original Mac in 1983, and used Word 5.1a extensively for years (^[15], ^[16]).

Wu has a deep friendship with Eric Cheng, who refers to him as “Norb.” Together they co-led multiple Wetpixel expeditions and collaborated on content for the site over many years. Eric Cheng described Wu as a “cameraman and friend” (^[17]).

Contributions to Wetpixel

Articles authored

Wu wrote 3 guest articles for Wetpixel — an Atlantis video lights review and a two-part fins review — published through Adam Hanlon’s editor account.

Wu authored three feature articles for Wetpixel:

• Nikon D200 housing comparison (2007): A comprehensive real-user review of three housings — Ikelite, Sea & Sea, and Light & Motion Titan — based on his experience with three D200 bodies. He praised the Ikelite for its iTTL system, 8-inch dome sharpness, and value; noted the Light & Motion Titan’s compatibility with Subal and Sea & Sea ports via adapters and its ROC strobe controls; and critiqued the Sea & Sea for its Nikonos TTL bulkhead corrosion issues. He had been “shooting Nikons for twenty years” at the time (^[18]).

• SmallHD monitor in Nauticam NA-DP4 housing review (2012): Reviewed the combination of a SmallHD 4.3-inch monitor in Nauticam’s housing for DSLR video shooting. Wu praised the setup for enabling still-to-video switching on the same dive with a Canon 7D, though he noted critical focus limitations with macro lenses. He concluded enthusiastically: “Buy the Small HD monitor and the Nauticam housing as soon as you can!” (^[19]).

• Atlantis MKI LED video lights review (2012): Compared the Atlantis MK1 lights against Light & Motion Sola 2000s for underwater video. He found the Atlantis lights slightly brighter with a wider beam angle and warmer tone, suitable for committed video shooters, while the compact Solas were better for still photographers who occasionally shoot video (^[20]).

”Norbert Wu’s Favorite Images” column (2015-2016)

Wu wrote an eight-installment column series on Wetpixel featuring stories behind his most iconic photographs, published under “Norbert Wu’s Favorite Images”:

1. Fluorescence (April 2015): Fluorescing coral in Palau, shot on 35mm film at 80 feet depth using ambient light only; featured on Microsoft Bing homepage (^[21])
2. Orcas in Antarctica (May 2015): Hunting orcas swimming down a newly opened lead in McMurdo Sound sea ice; included criticism of media misattribution of photographer work to scientists (^[22])
3. My First Photographs (May 2015): Spotjaw blenny images from San Blas Islands, Panama, taken with a Nikonos IV-A with extension tubes during his Smithsonian research diving stint (^[23])
4. Monterey (June 2015): Juvenile crab in a purple oceanic jelly (Pelagia colorata) at Point Lobos State Park, taken in 1986 with a Nikonos-and-extension-tube combination while working as a systems analyst for Daisy Systems in Silicon Valley (^[24])
5. Spotted Dolphins, Bahama Banks (July 2015): Atlantic spotted dolphins resting on shallow sand banks, photographed during trips in the 1990s aboard the “Dream Too” with Captain Scott Wagner. The French edition of a magazine removed all spots from the dolphins’ bodies, which Wu found “ridiculous — it was like removing spots from a leopard” (^[25])
6. Deep Sea Anglerfish (June 2016): The famous Melanocetus johnsoni image from Scripps research trawls, published on the cover of TIME in 1995 and dozens of other magazine covers. Included an essay on deep-sea biology (^[26])
7. Shark Diving in San Diego (July 2016): Blue sharks photographed off San Diego in the late 1980s wearing Jeremiah Sullivan’s stainless steel shark suit; first professional assignment for a medical advertisement. Included Wu’s reflections on photographers progressing from technicians to artists (^[27])
8. School of Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks (August 2016): Hammerheads at Cocos Island, Costa Rica, photographed on the Okeanos Aggressor and Undersea Hunter; included advocacy against the shark fin trade (^[28])

Fins reviews (2014, 2016)

Wu wrote extensive reviews of dive fins for underwater photographers, testing approximately a dozen pairs over two years across environments from Antarctica to tropical reefs:

• Part 1 (August 2014): Covered his 40-year evolution from full-foot Cressi Free Frog fins to open-heel designs, testing fins from Mares, Scubapro, Sherwood, Apollo, and others. Evaluated speed, weight, comfort, and maneuverability for photographers carrying heavy gear (^[29]).
• Part 2 (July 2016): Added Mares Volo Power and Force Fins to the review after a month diving in Papua New Guinea. Named Mares Volo Power, Force Fin, and Sherwood Elite as his top three fins (^[30]).

”Wetpixel asks the Pros” contributions

Wu contributed to two “Ask the Pros” features:

• Backup strategies (April 2015): Described his system of multiple portable USB 3.0 hard drives, bare drive docks, and Photo Mechanic for workflow. Kept master sets at his office and three backup sets at various locations including a summer house (^[31]).
• Wide-angle photography (May 2015): Contributed to the wide-angle technique feature alongside other professionals (^[32]).

Wetpixel Quarterly

Wu’s portfolio was featured in the first issue of Wetpixel Quarterly (WPQ #1), and his photographic prints were offered for sale through the WPQ print sales program alongside prints by Eric Cheng and other contributors (^[33], ^[34], ^[35]).

Wetpixel expeditions

Wu co-led three Wetpixel expeditions with Eric Cheng:

• Guadalupe great white sharks (August 2006): Aboard the Solmar V, a 112-foot luxury vessel, capped at 16 divers. The trip booked full and spawned a second departure. Wu and Cheng served as trip leaders and informal presenters. The expedition was organized through Great White Adventures (^[36], ^[37], ^[38]).
• Fak-Fak to Sorong / Raja Ampat (2007): Last-minute spots available on this expedition through Indonesia (^[39]).
• Alaska on Nautilus Explorer (June-July 2007): A 12-day journey from Sitka to Ketchikan exploring southeast Alaska and the Queen Charlotte Islands. Wu described his trip philosophy: “My trips are run so that people can have a good time and see things that they might not otherwise see” (^[40], ^[41]).

DEMA Show coverage

Wu provided Wetpixel with show coverage at multiple DEMA shows:

• DEMA 2007: Appeared at the Wetpixel booth and introduced Eric Cheng to Alan Studley at the KISS Rebreather booth (^[42], ^[43])
• DEMA 2009: On the floor reporting for Wetpixel alongside Eric Cheng, Matt Segal, Shawn Heinrichs, and Richard Remski (^[44])
• DEMA 2010: Show coverage alongside Sterling Zumbrunn and Adam Hanlon (^[45])
• DEMA 2012: Provided show coverage alongside the Wetpixel team (^[46])

Other contributions

• Insuring camera gear (2007): Eric Cheng highlighted Wu’s blog post analyzing insurance policies for professional underwater photographers as a “must-read” (^[47])
• Oceanic whitetip sharks (2012): Wrote a comprehensive report of an expedition to Cat Island, Bahamas, where his party was buzzed by an 800-pound marlin whose arrival triggered feeding behavior, with one whitetip shark tasting his strobe (^[48])
• Bite-Back calendar contributor: Donated images and commentary to the Bite-Back marine conservation calendar alongside Brian Skerry, Doug Perrine, David Doubilet, Alex Mustard, and others (2009 edition) (^[49])
• Divester/Wetpixel T-shirt contest (2006): A copy of Wu’s book Diving the World (450 photos) and one of his Antarctica prints were offered as prizes (^[50])
• Bay Area Dive Show 2010: A woman at the show had a tattoo based on one of Wu’s images (^[51])

Gear and technique

Wu was a long-time Nikon shooter (20+ years as of 2007), using the Nikon D100 and D200 for underwater still photography. He owned three D200 bodies with three different housings (Ikelite, Sea & Sea, Light & Motion Titan). He later used the Canon 7D and Nikon D7000 in Nauticam housings (^[52], ^[53]).

He began his career shooting with the Nikonos IV-A and later Nikonos V, using extension tubes and the 15mm wide-angle lens. His early film stocks included Fujichrome 50 and Kodachrome 64, with the latter preferred for its high contrast (^[54], ^[55]).

For strobes, he used Ikelite DS-125 and DS-160 units, and valued the iTTL system for low-light shooting at high ISOs (800-1600). For video, he tested Light & Motion Sola 2000 and Atlantis MK1 LED lights. His earlier video work used large 70-pound HDCAM housings (^[56], ^[57]).

Wu used the Inspiration rebreather for extended underwater work and also dove with double tanks for deep-water filming (^[58]).

His backup workflow centered on Photo Mechanic for quick image review, Apple Aperture for cataloging, and Photoshop only when needed for client delivery. He named files by location, date, and sequence number (e.g., CAL_20150406_dddd) (^[59]).

Conservation advocacy

Wu was an outspoken advocate for shark conservation. In his hammerhead shark column, he spoke directly against the shark fin trade: “Of all the issues in marine conservation today, I believe that convincing the Chinese people to stop serving and eating shark fin soup is perhaps the only issue that can possibly be resolved.” He noted that as a Chinese-American, the fin itself “tastes like rubber, with almost no taste” (^[60]).

He observed the decline of shark populations firsthand: “Divers now rarely see blue sharks off the California coast, almost certainly due to overfishing of sharks” (^[61]).

Wu contributed to the Bite-Back marine conservation calendar alongside other leading underwater photographers including David Doubilet, Brian Skerry, and Alex Mustard (^[62]).

Notable colleagues

Wu’s career intersected with many figures in underwater photography and filmmaking:

• Howard Hall: Mentor whose book Successful Underwater Photography was Wu’s “Bible.” Wu worked as assistant diver on Hall’s award-winning film Seasons on the Sea and later dove with Hall at Cocos Island (^[63])
• Eric Cheng: Close friend and collaborator; co-led three Wetpixel expeditions (^[64])
• Bob Cranston: Underwater cameraman who ran shark diving excursions off San Diego and dove with Wu in Cocos Island and Antarctica. Wu praised his expertise and friendship. Cranston passed away after Wu’s Wetpixel column was written (^[65])
• Marty Snyderman: One of the first photographers to work extensively at Cocos Island; mentor to Wu in his early San Diego shark diving (^[66])
• Douglas Seifert: Friend who invited Wu to swim with sperm whales in Dominica in 2010 (^[67])
• Alan Studley: Highly-regarded rebreather instructor and friend; contributed technical comments to Wu’s fins review (^[68], ^[69])

Timeline

• ~1983: Got first Macintosh computer, later used in his photography career (^[70])
• ~1984: Took marine ecology course at Hopkins Marine Station; spent summer diving Monterey Peninsula in a 10-foot Avon with friend Spencer Yeh (^[71])
• ~1986: Photographed juvenile crab in purple jelly at Point Lobos while working as systems analyst at Daisy Systems in Silicon Valley (^[72])
• ~1988: Entered Scripps Institution of Oceanography as doctoral student in Applied Ocean Sciences; visited Howard Hall and began shark diving in San Diego (^[73])
• ~1988-90: Photographed deep-sea specimens from Scripps research trawls, including the famous anglerfish image (^[74])
• Late 1980s: Worked as assistant diver on Howard Hall’s Seasons on the Sea; dove with blue and mako sharks off San Diego with Marty Snyderman and Bob Cranston (^[75])
• 1990s: Photographed Atlantic spotted dolphins on the Bahama Banks aboard the “Dream Too” (^[76])
• 1995: Deep-sea anglerfish image published on cover of TIME magazine (^[77])
• 1997, 1999, 2000: Received three NSF Artists and Writers Grants for Antarctic fieldwork (^[78])
• 2000: Awarded Antarctica Service Medal of the United States (^[79])
• 2001: Began shooting underwater video with large HDCAM housing; started diving with Inspiration rebreather (^[80])
• 2001: Filmed orcas at McMurdo Sound for WNET/Thirteen Nature PBS program (^[81])
• 2004: Named NANPA “Outstanding Photographer of the Year” (^[82])
• 2004-07: Presenter at Monterey Shootout 2004 (10th annual, 150+ photographers) (^[83])
• 2004-08: Speaker at NCUPS meeting on Antarctic underwater cinematography — “Under Antarctic Ice: A Slide and Video Presentation” (^[84])
• 2005-03: Presenter at Boston Sea Rovers 51st Clinic, where Eric Cheng spent the evening chatting with Wu, Brian Skerry, Bret Gilliam, Todd Essick, Mike DeGruy, and Mauricio Handler (^[85])
• 2005-06: Featured speaker at SEASPACE 2005 in Houston, presenting his latest film “Under Antarctic Ice” (^[86], ^[87])
• 2005-06: Announced as co-leader (with Eric Cheng) of Wetpixel Guadalupe great white shark expedition 2006 aboard Solmar V (^[88])
• 2006-08: Co-led two Guadalupe great white shark expeditions with Eric Cheng aboard Solmar V via Great White Adventures; trips booked full (^[89])
• 2006-11: Fak-Fak to Sorong / Raja Ampat expedition announced with Eric Cheng (^[90])
• 2006-11: Referenced at DEMA 2006 at Great White Adventures/SDI and Solmar V booths (^[91], ^[92])
• 2007-02: Alaska expedition on Nautilus Explorer announced with Eric Cheng (Sitka to Ketchikan, 12 days) (^[93])
• 2007-05: Took Light & Motion Titan D200 housing to Indonesia for field testing (^[94])
• 2007-07: Eric Cheng highlights Wu’s blog post on insuring camera gear (^[95])
• 2007-09: Publishes comprehensive Nikon D200 housing comparison on Wetpixel (^[96])
• 2007-10: Portfolio featured in Wetpixel Quarterly #1; prints offered for sale (^[97])
• 2007-11: At DEMA 2007, introduced Eric Cheng to KISS Rebreather instructor Alan Studley (^[98])
• 2008-2009: Additional Antarctic diving expeditions (^[99])
• 2009-11: On the floor at DEMA 2009 reporting for Wetpixel (^[100])
• 2010: Invited by Douglas Seifert to swim with sperm whales in Dominica (^[101])
• 2010-05: Bay Area Dive Show 2010 — a woman displayed a tattoo based on one of Wu’s images (^[102])
• 2010-11: Show coverage at DEMA 2010 for Wetpixel (^[103])
• 2012-02: Reviews SmallHD monitor in Nauticam NA-DP4 housing for Wetpixel (^[104])
• 2012-05: Reviews Atlantis MKI LED video lights for Wetpixel (^[105])
• 2012-05: Publishes report on oceanic whitetip sharks at Cat Island, Bahamas (^[106])
• 2012-11: Provides DEMA 2012 show coverage for Wetpixel (^[107])
• 2014-08: Publishes comprehensive fins review on Wetpixel (^[108])
• 2015-04: Launches “Norbert Wu’s Favorite Images” column on Wetpixel, beginning with fluorescence photography (^[109])
• 2015-04: Contributes backup strategies to “Wetpixel asks the Pros” (^[110])
• 2015-05: Contributes to “Wetpixel asks the Pros: Wide-angle” feature (^[111])
• 2016-07: Publishes fins review Part 2 after month-long Papua New Guinea trip; declares Mares Volo Power his favorite diving fin (^[112])
• 2016-08: Final installment of Favorite Images column (hammerhead sharks at Cocos Island) (^[113])
• 2017-06: Great white shark image appears on USPS Sharks Forever Stamps (^[114])

Forum activity

Wu was active on the Wetpixel forums under the username “norbertwu” from 2011 to 2021, with 49 posts across 27 threads. His forum activity was primarily in the Classifieds section, selling used Sea & Sea gear including extension rings, fisheye dome ports, and an aluminum D200 housing (forum database).

References