Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Flickr is one of the many ways people can share their digital photographs with the rest of the world, and having a look at the pictures taken in Suffolk there are clearly some very talented people around.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Suffolk journalist Jon Wright tracked down Ben Heather after seeing his work on the internet and joined him at Christchurch Park, Ipswich, in the hope of picking up a few tips.

Ben zooms in on some ducks

"Flickr is a brilliant resource for showing off what you've done but also accessing other people's resources too," said Ben, who lives in Bury St Edmunds but works in Ipswich.

"I've only recently got on to it but I've had a few people look at my photos and post comments.

"Cameras now record XIF data, which is all the parameters of the camera such as the exposure rate, so as an amateur photographer it's interesting to see what other people have used and try it."

The right gear for the job

Ben uses what he describes as an entry level digital SLR camera - it can capture up to 10 megapixels and has a 70-300mm lens ("probably equivalent to 18x zoom on a compact camera").

More high end cameras allow you to adjust every aspect of the settings, from the exposure to the shutter speed, allowing photographers the chance to put their own stamp on images.

Ben's photo of buttercups

"All you need are two lenses ideally - one for your close ups and landscapes, and one to get your zoom pictures.

"You can play around with the aperture and the speed of the shot if you want to capture more light - it's always a case of getting as much light as you can but with the fastest shutter speed you can.

"You can get some really good pictures with the auto setting but if you want to explore with the depth of colours you really need to experiment with the settings and see what you get."

Jon and Ben chose a cluster of buttercups for the subject of some test photographs.

"If you want to get a more interesting picture you can get down at ground level.

"I'd consider the light as they're quite a reflective flower. One of the main things you need is good light. It means you can turn the sensitivity settings on the camera down and the end picture is much more detailed.

"When you've got a carpet of flowers like this it's going to focus on the middle ground, so you've got a nice blurred background of the same flower - but it's a nice soft focus."

Jon's buttercups

Jon had the option to play around with the settings on his non SLR digital camera, but opted to stick in auto for his shot.

"It's a case of trial and error but the beauty of digital cameras is you can delete the ones you don't like and take forward the ones that you do."

The waiting game

You can have all the technical skills in the world, but when it comes to capturing wildlife there's always going to be an element of luck and fortuitous timing.

"Most times it's being in the right place at the right time, but the other thing is patience," said Ben.

"I've been watching some fox cubs in the village and it's a case of sitting in the field waiting for them to come out and get used to you being there.

"When I first went down there I spent a couple of hours waiting for them to come out."

But when you finally manage to capture the shot you've been waiting for, it's an added incentive for photographers that they can now share these with a global online community.

"It's brilliant, and the main goal at the end of the day."