Since moving to Cape Town, South Africa, in 2019, Tommy has focused his lens on several grassroots initiatives aiming to redress the stark divisions that remain prevalent in the country long after the end of apartheid rule. He has also continued his work on coastal communities, exploring the fight to save the iconic African penguin from extinction as well as the decline of Cape Town’s small scale fishing industry.

Tommy is represented by the UK photo agency Panos Pictures, and his photos and accompanying written features have appeared in dozens of the world’s leading publications such as the New York Times, the Guardian, GEO, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, NPR, Stern Magazine, the Sunday Times of London, Geographical, TIME Magazine and Newsweek. He also works regularly with international NGOs including Oxfam, Save the Children, Sightsavers, the IFRC and MSF.

His work has been recognised by several international awards including Pictures of the Year International, the NPPAs Best of Photojournalism, the International Photography Awards, the Amnesty International Media Awards, the Paris Photo Prize (Px3), the Alfred Fried Peace Photo Award and the World Report Award among others. He was listed among the top emerging photographers of 2015 and 2017 by the Magenta Foundation, featured in PDN’s photo annual for 2018 and named as one of Forbes Magazine’s ’30-under-30′ for media.