Eric Cheng (b.1975) grew up as a Taiwanese American kid in San Diego. He was implicitly pushed to excel at math and science, and studied both the piano and cello from a young age. Eric left San Diego in 1993 and moved up to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he attended Stanford University and completed BS and MS degrees in Computer Science while continuing to study the cello. After working in the software industry for a few years, Eric developed a love for the underwater world and started SCUBA diving to pursue a serious interest in underwater photography.

Seven years later, Eric is one of the best-known underwater photographers in the world. He is the editor and publisher of Wetpixel.com, the premiere online community for underwater
photographers, and also publishes his own print magazine, Wetpixel Quarterly. Eric is frequently sought after as a guest speaker, and leads photography expeditions to remote marine destinations around the globe. Eric is also involved in ocean conservation, and is technical advisor and photographer for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Most recently, Eric was the head photographer on a Sea Shepherd anti-whaling campaign to Antarctica, which was also documented for Whale Wars, the hit show on Animal Planet. Eric's exhibit at the TACC showcases his best work from some of the most remote reefs on the planet.