PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Gagg has been snapped up by the most prestigious international photographic society.

Mr Gagg, of Henwick Road, St John's, Worcester, has been admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society after submitting an award-winning portfolio of pictures.

His submission included 20 fine prints of botanical subjects in the wild, and had to be approved by a highly qualified Panel of Society Fellows.

The 65-year-old said: "I'm not as young as I used to be so I thought if I'm going to achieve it I had better have a go now."

While at college he began to specialise in photographing botanical subjects and now he runs a stock library for BAPLA, the British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies, supplying publishers with pictures of wild plants from all over Europe.

Travelling worldwide in search of plants to photograph, Mr Gagg regularly visits Scandinavia, Bulg-aria and the Mediterranean to capture some of the warmer climate plants.

As well as travelling for personal pleasure, he also takes groups to Bulgaria to share his expertise in botanical photography. Mr Gagg came to Worcester when he retired from his job as production designer for the BBC at Pebble Mill, although he has no plans to pack his camera away yet.

He said: "I'm addicted to the sound of a clicking shutter so I will continue to take pictures for as long as my fingers will let me."

Keen to pass on his extensive knowledge Mr Gagg is currently running a photographic group for the Worcester branch of the University of the Third Age.

The world renowned Royal Photographic Soc-iety, based in Bath, has been at the forefront of photography for nearly 150 years.