nwdiver

Forum username: nwdiver (also PNWDiver)
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Posts: 1,348 across 749 threads
Threads started: 374
Active years: 2004–2024
Camera: Canon 5D / Sony FX1 / Sony HC9 / Sony RX100
Housing: Subal / LMI / Gates / Aquatica / Nauticam
Primary forums: Photo / Video Showcase (342), Photography Gear and Technique (272), The Galley: General Chat (175), Shooting Technique/Workflow (174)
Specialization: Video production, Pacific Northwest diving, travel/expedition photography, community event organizing

Community Role

nwdiver was one of Wetpixel’s most enduring and well-rounded community members, with an extraordinary 20-year active span from 2004 through 2024 and no single dominant period — a pattern suggesting steady, sustained engagement rather than intense bursts. With 374 threads started (one of the highest counts for any community member), he was an unusually prolific initiator of discussions, questions, and trip reports.

His interests spanned both still photography and video (58 posts in Video Gear and Technique), with a notable emphasis on travel and expedition diving (136 posts in Trip Reports). He cycled through multiple camera and housing systems over the years — from Nikon D100 and Canon 5D with Subal housings through Sony FX1 video with LMI/Gates housings to the compact Sony RX100 with Nauticam housing — reflecting the full evolution of underwater imaging technology.

nwdiver was also a community organizer. He organized a Pacific Northwest dive event in August 2008 under his alternate account “PNWDiver,” arranging for Eric Cheng and Douglas Seifert to dive with Wetpixel community members via Bandito Charters in the Seattle area. In the event thread, he explained “this is NWDiver but tried changing my email and now I can’t post or get into my old email,” confirming the two accounts belong to the same person (^[1]).

His 130 posts in Classifieds reflect a pattern of regularly cycling gear as technology evolved — a practical aspect of two decades as an active underwater photographer.

Notable Contributions

Community Organizing and Events

• “Your Chance to Dive with Eric Cheng and Douglas Seifert!” (19 posts, 119 replies): Organized a Wetpixel community dive event in Seattle/Pacific Northwest, chartering Bandito Charters for community members to dive with Wetpixel’s co-founder and Dive Magazine UK contributing editor. Eric Cheng himself posted “I look forward to diving with you, and I promise that Douglas will not stab anyone” (^[2])
• “WETPIXEL Coffee Table Book???” (6 posts, 57 replies): Started a thread proposing a community-produced coffee table book of Wetpixel members’ underwater images, which Eric Cheng took seriously enough to move the discussion offline. The idea anticipated later community publication efforts (^[3])

Trip Reports and Travel Photography

• “Northern PNG a Wide Angle Destination” (6 posts, 13 replies): Shared wide-angle images from Papua New Guinea aboard the Star Dancer, documenting silvertip sharks (including one with a hook in its mouth) and receiving technique feedback from Mike Veitch on shutter speed selection for downward-looking pelagic shots (^[4])
• “Fiji, RX100, Wide and Macro shots” (6 posts, 16 replies): Showcased images from the Nai’a liveaboard in Fiji using the Sony RX100, Nauticam housing, dual Sea & Sea D1 strobes, Inon H100 wide-angle lens and Subsea +10 diopter — demonstrating that compact cameras could approach DSLR quality for CFWA (^[5])
• “Komodo via the Damai” (6 posts, 14 replies): Trip report from Indonesia (^[6])
• “Raja Ampat MultiMedia show up” (6 posts, 17 replies): Shared multimedia content from Raja Ampat diving (^[7])
• “Tonga Humpback Whales” (10 posts, 23 replies): Shared experiences from humpback whale encounter diving in Tonga (^[8])
• “Help us plan our trips for 2008” (7 posts, 19 replies): Active in community trip planning (^[9])

Gear and Technique

• “Best Tablet, Light Weight device for travel?” (11 posts, 31 replies): Addressed the practical needs of traveling underwater photographers for image review and backup (^[10])
• “$800–1000 for camcorder what should it be?” (7 posts, 14 replies): Video camera selection during the HD transition era (^[11])
• “LAUPS winners: Subject’s manipulation?” (6 posts, 115 replies): Contributed to the ethical debate about wildlife manipulation in underwater photo competitions (^[12])
• Classifieds activity: Regularly listed gear including Subtronic Nova strobes (8 posts), LMI Sony FX1 systems (7 posts), and complete Aquatica D7000 systems (6 posts)

Activity Profile

• Peak year: 2006 (190 posts)
• Forum focus: 25% Photo / Video Showcase, 20% Photography Gear and Technique, 13% General Chat, 13% Shooting Technique/Workflow, 10% Trip Reports and Travel
• Longevity: 20-year active span (2004–2024), among the longest of any Wetpixel contributor
• Thread initiator: 374 threads started — one of the most prolific question-askers and discussion starters in the community
• Gear evolution: Progressed through Nikon D100 → Canon 5D (Subal) → Sony FX1/HC9 video (LMI/Gates) → Aquatica D7000 → Sony RX100 (Nauticam), documenting the full arc of underwater imaging technology

References