Born in 1929 in Woburn, Massachusetts. Zimbel received his first professional camera, a 4/5 Speed Graphic, at the age of fourteen and began photographing for local newspaper and businesses. He entered Columbia University in 1947. The following year, Life magazine and Columbia's "Liff," published Zimbel's photograph Squirt Gun Fad. In 1949, Zimbel studied at the Photo League with John Ebstel and met Garry Winogrand through the Columbia Camera Club.
In 1951, Zimbel went on active duty with U.S. Army; he returned to New York in May 1953 to pursue a career as a freelance photographer. In addition to photographing street and community life in New York, Zimbel has photographed American celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe, and presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon and Truman.
