Armed with a camera and silent patience, photographers must be prepared to wait for the perfect moment to take a prize-winning image.

And that is exactly what three amateurs from Norwich and Wymondham did to capture these fantastic wildlife shots which have been selected as winners of a calendar competition.

Now after being singled out in a competition, the amateur photographers can look forward to seeing their images feature in The East of England Co-operative Society's 2012 calendar.

Hundreds of images were submitted as part of the competition across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, and three of the winners came from Norfolk.

Carol Harvey, of Catton, won with her photo of a four-spotted chaser dragonfly at Pensthorpe.

Simon Spencer, of Wymondham, was chosen for his picture of a buff-tailed bumblebee at the Holkham Estate, while Ruth Tyrell, of Bowthorpe, succeeded with an image of mute swan and cygnets at Bowthorpe Southern Park.

As well as seeing their photos on the calendar, they also received East of England Co-op vouchers and a canvas print of their image.

The calendar has been launched in support of the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex Wildlife Trusts, with �1 from each calendar sold shared between the branches.

Roger Grosvenor, group general manager for trading for the East of England Co-operative, said: 'The final 12 images in the calendar are an excellent collection of wildlife photographs including birds, bees, butterflies, moths, deer and hare, and much more, with all the photos being taken in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

'We are very pleased to be supporting the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex Wildlife Trusts, and hope that sales of the calendar will raise thousands of pounds for these three worthy causes.'

The Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex Wildlife Trusts collectively care for and protect 25,000 acres of wildlife habitat in the region, including nature reserves and parks.

Jane Ryan, fundraising and legacy officer for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, said: 'The Wildlife Trusts are delighted that the East of England Co-op have chosen to support our work and highlight the wonderful wildlife in our region in this way.'

Are you a keen photographer? Send us your pictures for our reader photo section and we'll publish them in the paper. Cute or quirky, a Norwich scene or a photo of your garden, we'd love to see them. Email your pictures, with details, to newsdesk@archant.co.uk.