I don’t really like blowing my own trumpet.
I don’t even play the trumpet.
But here’s some trumpet anyway:

For many a year now, I’ve been a freelance filmmaker and photographer (award winning for both), photography safari leader, qualified drone pilot, musician and writer. Based in the UK, I make documentaries, short films and promotional videos with a speciality in anything to do with the great outdoors – because that’s where I love to be.

I love to collaborate with filmmakers, photographers and other creative types. I run photography safaris at African Photography Safaris with Alan Hewitt and am represented by the RSPB, Avalon and Alamy image libraries.


Clients

I’ve worked with lots of big and small clients on a wide range of filmmaking and photography projects. Here are a few of them:

  • BBC
  • RSPB
  • Cold Brew Events
  • Trail Outlaws
  • Hangar 18 Off Road Running
  • The Bigger Picture Agency
  • Cool Designs Ltd.
  • Wildlife and Wetlands Trust
  • Gateshead Harriers
  • Total Racing International
  • Gateshead Council
  • Adderstone Group
  • Brims Construction
  • Piramal Healthcare
  • Midland Steel Traders

I’ve moved around a lot in the past (born in New Guinea and lived in Cumbria and Northumberland), but now live in Newcastle and have an office in Northumberland. As an amateur triathlete I completed my first (and last!) Ironman in 2011. Since then, I’ve been dining out (a bit too literally) on this feat and am now more or less a lardy old git who bleats on about, “I did an Ironman in 2011 y’know!”

I’m not doing much writing at the minute, but in the past I’ve written lots of articles for several magazines, including Wild Planet Photo, Bird Watching, Landscape Photography, Outdoor Photography and wrote the critically acclaimed book Wildlife of the Farne Islands.

On the music front, I write music for some of my films, having spent years playing lead guitar in bands and creating electronic music. I now use Ableton Live to write electronic music for films and for pleasure.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the name is Arabic (my dad was half Lebanese, half Palestinian and mam English) and Zibe is pronounced to rhyme with ‘tribe’.

<end trumpet solo πŸ˜‰ />

In the Cheviot Hills with my current camera: Sony's excellent FX9 cinema camera.

In the Cheviot Hills with my current camera: Sony’s excellent FX9 cinema camera. The pictured camera was a hire-in, but after using it for this job, I fell in love and bought one


What’s in the bag?

Having used Nikon and Canon cameras extensively in the past, I’m now with Sony because for me, they provide the most flexible cameras for shooting both professional video and stills:

  • Sony FX9 cinema / broadcast camera
  • Sony A7S III
  • Sony A7R IV
  • Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master
  • Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8
  • Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master
  • Sony 200 – 600mm
  • Sony 18-110 f/4 G cinema zoom
  • Sony 1.4 and 2x teleconverters
  • Nikon 16mm fisheye with Metabones adapter
  • Sigma 105 Macro with Metabones adapter
  • I’ll hire in anything else I need, like the incredible Sony 400mm f/2.8 lens

Inevitably, there is a lot of extra stuff that goes with these, including lights, gimbals, grip, radios, monitors and cast of thousands of other bits of gubbins!


What’s in the air?

I’m a qualified Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) drone pilot with a valid, current license (PDRA-01) and full insurance.

My drones are

  • DJI Mavic 2 Pro
  • DJI Avata
  • iFlight Megabee FPV
  • I’ll hire anything bigger in per job

What’s in the office?

  • Macbook Pro 16″ M1 Max 2021, 64GB mem, 4TB SSD
  • 2 x external displays: 1 x 5K, 1 x 4K
  • A multitude of external SSDs, hard drives and backup devices over 2 locations. Probably over 200TB total storage