Marcus initially started out as a graphic designer, and only started taking pictures in the mid 1990s. Commissions included work for Christian Lacroix and Koji Tatsuno. The music world too, had also begun to take notice and Jamiroquai, Maxwell, Des’ree and Soul 2 Soul all became co-conspirators. At the end of 2003, Tomlinson caught the attention of the prestigious Mois De La Photo and was invited to exhibit at the month-long show in Paris. Marcus also continued to develop his work with other designers including Issey Miyake. He was also approached by Bono, who was putting together his “One” campaign. In 2007, Marcus was commissioned by Atopop for the Museum of Modern Art in Luxembourg to create a film based on the work of fashion designer Gareth Pugh.