How Tommy Clarke captured ES Magazine's Travel Edition cover

Growing up on the South coast of England, Tommy Clarke developed his love for the sea through family trips spent at the beach.

Clarke’s exposure to coastal landscapes and inspiration from his hero David Attenborough, drove him to explore the fascinating relationship between water and land and how people interact with these spaces.

Signed to Elite’s talent board and a professional photographer, Tommy shot fashion editorial and commercial projects but wanted to create more instantly striking images of the beach; without the need to be retouched. To create this effect Tommy needed height. No drones here, back to basics hanging out the side of a helicopter, camera in tow. But the results are worth it.

It was whilst living in Sydney that Tommy decided to get his feet wet and embark on his first aerial shoot over Bondi Beach. He’s since racked up the air miles, shooting in Mexico, Utah and San Francisco, to name a few.

Antigua, his new series of work, features some of the Caribbean island’s most iconic landscapes, transformed into works of fine, abstract art. As we welcome in February and the yearning for sun, we chose Tommy’s image to feature as the front cover to the ES Magazine Travel Edition; a dazzling wash of emerald blue meeting the cream, sandy beach. With an array of colourful umbrellas, loungers and unsuspecting sunbathers, we’re wistfully transported to a fantasy holiday scene. Right, time to book that flight.

As part of this feature, we were lucky enough to create an exclusive video with Tommy on his travels. Check it out for breathtaking (and hair-raising) scenery of the beautiful island.