Jump right in! Stunning pictures of the ocean from above which makes you desperate for a holiday
- Tommy Clarke, from London, captures incredible landscape shots featuring the threshold between water and land
- His favourite shot was looking down on the salt lakes of San Francisco and took three years to organise
- The 28-year-old's bestseller is a photo looking down on super yachts sprinkled in the turquoise Mediterranean sea
Dangling out of helicopters precariously clutching a camera may seem extreme, but it's all in a day's work for aerial photographer Tommy Clarke.
He has swooped over locations such as Bondi Beach in Sydney and St Tropez in the Mediterranean to produce mesmerising shots that include sumptuous turquoise landscapes dotted with miniature-looking boats and colourful beach goers.
His stunning photographs reveal a new perspective of some of the most beautiful locations on earth.
New perspective: Tommy Clarke captures incredible landscape shots featuring the point where water meets the land
Clarke uses helicopters and small planes to get the perfect perspective on his subjects and sprawling landscapes below
From the ground they may not look like much, but from above these coloured containers are an eye-catching sight
Yachts are sprinkled in the sparkling ocean in St Tropez in this image - one of Clarke's bestsellers
Clarke grew up near Bournemouth in Dorset and spent nearly every childhood holiday by the beach.
This sparked a deep interest of the interaction between water and land and how humans connect with that location.
But it wasn't until he was living in Sydney that the 28-year-old photographer embarked on his first aerial shoot over Bondi Beach.
'I fell in love with the landscape and beach and wanted to put a new angle on my existing portfolio,' Clarke told MailOnline Travel.
'No one would go to the beach with a beige towel, beige beach brolly and beige swimsuit, instead we all get out the brightest colours we have and sprawl ourselves along the sand.
'Seeing those colours from above is something else and capturing the swathes of colours, like paint on a canvas effectively, was what first drew me in to aerial photography.
'My aerial work is now progressing into a more structured environment but still keeping those colours as a defining part of each series.'
Clarke, who lives above his studio in Brixton, London, uses helicopters and small planes to get the perfect perspective on his subjects and landscapes below.
'These days with the prevalence of drones in aerial photography I seem to be in the old guard by hiring helicopters and taking the door off, harnessing myself in and then hanging out - though I doubt flying a remote controlled drone is quite as exhilarating as my method,' he commented.
Body surfers take to the foamy waters in this incredible landscape, which reveals the vibrant turquoise colour of the ocean in Bondi Beach
Clarke was amazed by the fact that hardly anyone takes a beige item to the beach, with the majority of the towels, outfits and umbrellas standing out against the sand
Initial research is done by using Google Earth. The free service allows the explorer to scout out exhilarating locations from the comfort of his London studio.
Not to be missed is Clarke's bestseller, a landscape shot overlooking the waters off St Tropez last summer.
What makes the photo particularly striking is the vivid blue colour of the Mediterranean water with the super yachts sprinkled on top of it.
Clarke's personal favourite picture in his portfolio is 'Rothko,' which captures the salt lakes of San Francisco.
This image took three years to plan, and forms part of his forthcoming series, Salt.
The intrepid photographer uses a range of cameras, from large DSLRs to vintage film cameras, but for his next shoot he is using a massive Polaroid camera.
He added: 'It took nearly two years to find all the components for it and it's finally time to use it, I am very excited about that project.'
To see more of Tommy Clarke's work, visit www.tommyclarke.co.uk and Instagram at @tommy.clarke.
Tommy's favourite shot is this one, which was taken while flying over Utah and San Francisco's vibrantly-coloured salt lakes
A sea of blue umbrellas in St Tropez captured whilst flying over the beach stand out boldly against the sand in the sun
Interesting perspective: Even aerial shots of plainly-coloured containers can make for a captivating photograph
Orange is the new black: Initial research for projects such as these orange sun umbrellas is done by using Google Earth. The free service allows the explorer to scout out exhilarating locations from the comfort of his London studio
The photographer leans out of small planes or helicopters attached by a harness to obtain his landscape shots
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