Just Nature owner: Wayne Ellington
Just Nature is a local photo artist that we have the pleasure of printing work for the owner Wayne Ellington. Wayne has an incredible passion for photography and it really shows in his work and his excitement to showcase his newest snapshot. Wayne has a contagious personality that fills the room with glee and an incredible eye for that perfect shot. GP Print has produced many items for Wayne’s artwork including drinkware, canvases, keyrings, posters, fridge magnets, greetings cards and many more homeware products.
Here's a bio from Wayne sharing stories of his travels and the journey into founding Just Nature.
A Selection of Wayne's Photos
Born and bred in Peterborough my strong sense of wanderlust has compelled me to travel both far and wide from my home city in search of adventure. As a member of the British Army Reserves and in my travels since leaving the service I have visited more than 20 countries in total, a list I fully intend to keep adding to. My many travels have helped to cultivate my long standing love of animals into a passion for conservation not to mention sparking my budding foray into amateur wildlife photography.
My “Just Nature” adventure began in 2018 following a safari trip to Botswana. During my time there, I took part in a photoshoot day, getting just a small taste of what a professional wildlife photographer does and that was more than enough to light a fire in me. I was hooked and as soon as I returned to the UK I began enlisting in photography courses as well as visiting every zoo I could to get as much practice as possible.
I started to share the photos I was taking on Instagram and eventually I had one I was happy enough with to have framed in order to gift it to a family member along with a mug also sporting one of my pictures. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was opening a floodgate and I soon had other family members followed by friends asking me for prints, mugs, coasters and anything else I could put my photos on to. Now with a collection of items I started to attend craft fairs, charity events and Christmas markets, I even began producing my own calendars!
And that’s what Just Nature is all about, sharing my love of animals with people who share that love of nature and giving them a way to enjoy the photos I take of amazing wildlife and beautiful scenery in their day-to-day lives.
The King
This photo holds a special place in my heart. Taken in the Maasai Mara National Reserve back in 2019 it shows the first male African lion I saw in the wild.
For two days we had been out on safari with no lions to be seen anywhere until, on our third day, we picked out a lone tree in the middle of nowhere under which to set up our picnic. It was as we rounded the tree that this young male lion came into view in all his majesty, sat enjoying the shade where we’d been preparing to stop, making for a truly magical and unforgettable moment captured forever in this photo.
Zebras
Also taken when on safari in the Maasai Mara in 2019, this shows another of the truly outstanding moments which make that trip so dear to me.
Within minutes of entering onto the wide, open grasslands we came across this small family group of plains zebras peacefully grazing and seemingly very happy to let us stay to watch them for a while. With all four zebras gathered together for a family mealtime it serves as just a little reminder that we and the animal kingdom aren’t quite so different as we think we are sometimes.
Sunset
This warm, inviting and tranquil scene comes from my 2019 visit to the Serengeti.
We had spent a long but rewarding day seeing what wildlife and scenery the national park had to offer. Tired, we returned to camp to sit back and relax with a cup of tea just in time for the Serengeti to present us with one last treat for the day. It’s hard to imagine being able to see a better sunset anywhere in the world and looking into this photo for just a few moments is enough to help you forget the stresses and worries of the day…
