Tom Zimberoff

Tom Zimberoff is a classically-trained clarinetist who studied music at the University of Southern California before pivoting to photography. Traveling the world, he’s shot many magazine covers and covered hundreds of historical and breaking news stories. His career took off — literally — when he stowed away aboard a helicopter carrying the military dictator of Panamá. With no time to think about the possibility of being invited to exit the aircraft before it landed, he was hoping for exclusive photos of the camera-shy ruler. It turned out to be his entrée to more than two decades of shooting for Time magazine. Later, he shot advertising campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. Navy, and Hollywood movie studios.

Tom is the author of two books, one about the business side of photography, used as a college textbook; and another is a two-volume set he wrote and illustrated about his passion for custom-made motorcycles, an art he refers to as haut moteur. He also created PhotoByte®, the first successful business-management software for photographers.

Zimberoff’s portraits can be found in private collections and museums, including the National Portrait Gallery in London; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and the San Francisco...