Tim Zielenbach was a photographer from the United States, and a participant in World Press Photo's inaugural Joop Swart Masterclass in 1994.
His career in international photojournalism began in 1992 with a position with the Sunday Times in South Africa. He also worked as a contract photographer for The New York Times. During the five years he was based in Johannesburg, Zielenbach covered breaking news and longer term projects across the continent.