Chris Ellison was born and raised in the Cumbrian village of Windermere, in a time when the Lake District was a Mecca for motor-sports. There was motorcycling on the fells, power-boating on the lakes, circuit racing at MOD bases, the RAC “Round Britain Rally” visited the area every year, there were numerous forest rallies through the hillside forests and there was “road rallying” on the open lanes and over the many twisting, tricky mountain passes.
Upon leaving school, Chris started an apprenticeship at a local garage, the proprietor’s sons were involved in racing and rallying, so Chris had his head under the bonnet of a twin cam Escort at a very early age.

Chris was a member of Furness and District Motor Club, co-driving on events up to international level, when he wasn’t co-driving he’d be out chase caring or servicing.
A new career as the village post man, gave Chris sufficient time to develop an interest in sports photography, covering, yachting, boxing, rugby and football events for The Westmoreland Gazette, but it was his love of road rallying, which took him to events all over the UK.

As a competitor Chris had met a local newspaper photographer, called Tony North. As well as sharing Chris’s enthusiasm for road events, Tony also often worked for the Kent based motor-sports photo agency, Colin Taylor Productions. Introductions were made and it wasn’t long before Chris was also invited to join CTP, working alongside other top photographers Colin and Chris Taylor, Peter Smith, Chris Marsh, Hugh Bishop and Adam Cathersides, servicing an impressive clientele, on events worldwide. Chris was just as comfortable in the snows of the Artic winter as the sands of the Middle East, or of course torrential rain in Wales.

Through sponsor work Chris became involved with The Cyprus Rally, when it was a top European Championship rally and still has close links with the modern event.
Having worked tirelessly through “the escort days” and the group B and group A eras Chris  hung up his cameras in the early nineties. Settling down to married life, selling his collection of Rallyworlds {the book which he’d contributed to for many seasons) and buying some golf clubs.

Although the golf lasted for over ten years, Chris kept in touch with his many photographic friends, fuelling a hankering to return to rallying. As the digital era changed photography forever Chris found himself intrigued by the new technology, buying his first digital camera body in 2003 and never looking back.

Although he claims not to take photography quite as seriously nowadays, he still manages a bit of agency and local newspaper work.

The golf clubs are now a dusty memory as Chris spends his leisure time with his son Robin fell walking or watching Preston North End. However watch out for Robin who has really got the bug and takes better action pictures at 11 years old than many photographers twice his age!

Biography by GAVIN LODGE