Naim Chidiac

Hanging outside a fast-moving helicopter as it crosses the sun-kissed dunes of the Arabian Peninsula sounds like the kind of adventure reserved for the likes of spy heroes in Hollywood thrillers. But for extreme sports photographer Naim Chidiac – who regularly covers motor races that cross the desert – it's just another day at the office.

Even when you're shooting in the sky, you need to keep calm and remember the fundamentals. "I try to design my pictures in many ways," says Naim. "To see lines, guidelines and compositions. This is very important – even when you're on a helicopter, moving at high speed, you need to be able to see it."

Naim had long been a huge fan of extreme sports, regularly competing in skiing and windsurfing events. Inevitably, his passions intertwined, and he started to capture dynamic imagery of his sports friends and colleagues. As he grew in confidence, he had the idea to approach extreme sports sponsor Red Bull about shooting these events professionally.

"It took years," he recalls. "A year and a half to two years – I was putting my number in every second week." Eventually, he received a call from Red Bull Lebanon to shoot part of an adventure event that would involve a cross-country run, a bike race and a kayak race. "It's a funny story," he says. "I was only supposed to take care of the running, but after I shot the running, I did the bicycles too. I stopped a car on the road, the guy took me down and I shot the arrival of the kayaks as well."

This self-starter spirit got him noticed, and Naim was able to keep working with Red Bull even after he moved from Lebanon to Dubai. He kept shooting, covering more events, and his work was noticed by Red Bull Austria, who asked Naim if he could fly to Fuschl for a six-month internship. Of course, he said yes. "After Austria I did six more months, travelling all over Europe to cover big events," he adds.

Naim's passion never sits still. In addition to his extreme sports work, he has also branched out into advertising, where he has shot campaigns with sports legends such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. "I just go and enjoy it," he says. "I really enjoy everything. I love my job."

You've said before that "the adrenaline keeps me clicking". Could you expand on that?

"I'm the official photographer for the Dakar Rally, and there was one moment that really brought tears to my eyes. It's moments like that when you want to thank God for all of it. We were chasing one car, flying low in the helicopter, and I was hanging outside in a harness. We were moving at high speed, going between big rocks. We came around one curve and I saw people climbing on the rocks, above and below us. I could hear them cheering. It was all very emotional. The adrenaline makes you want to keep clicking because you're so excited about what's happening and you don't want to miss anything."


How challenging is it to capture sharp, dynamic shots while hanging outside of a fast-moving helicopter?

"It's very scary because of the high speeds and everything that's going on, but I just focus on my camera. The helicopter will manoeuvre left and right very fast – you'll go from facing the ground to facing the sky in one second. So I just focus on my viewfinder, but there is always the adrenaline. When you get back down, you feel goosebumps."


Is your process different when shooting for advertising clients?

"Advertising is five or six creatives and clients on your head and you need to deliver. You cannot just go there and 'try' – you have five minutes, sometimes 10, because during a television commercial shoot, the priority goes to the video, not the photos. There's no trial and error; you have to know what you're doing."


What would be your dream commission?

"It was being on Netflix, and now I'm on Netflix! On Drive to Survive, the F1 series."


What piece of Canon kit can you not live without, and why?

"My Canon EOS R5 Mark II and Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM lens. The EOS R5’s 45MP resolution gives me the detail and image quality I need for my advertising work – every year I have more than 50 billboards on the street, some up to 100 metres wide – plus the freedom to crop without compromising the final result. The 30fps combined with excellent AF and subject tracking gives me the confidence to capture decisive moments, even in very fast situations. The RF 28-70mm F2L USM is always in my bag. Its range covers so much of my work, and the constant f/2 aperture means it performs beautifully in low light and gives me excellent sharpness and contrast. It combines the flexibility of a zoom with the look of a prime."


What else could we discover in your kitbag that helps you elevate your work?

"You will probably find extra batteries and memory cards, plus Lebanese food and energy drinks."

"Shadow someone, and be patient, because you will learn a lot. You need to sacrifice – I put in 10 years of my life carrying seven or eight bags, helping to put up lighting, and I learned photography the hard way. I learned to shoot one image, rather than shooting a hundred and choosing one. You learn to notice before you click – and once you start seeing before clicking, it will be the first step for you and your photography. So, my advice is to shadow someone, sacrifice a few years of your life, and you will become what you want to become."

Instagram: @naimchidiac