Zeng Gang, Director of Sichuan Alpine Ecology Study Center, won the third prize in Class Three, AGS Photography Competition 2007. His winning picture was published on Page 228, AGS' seasonal magazine, The Alpine Gardener, June 2008.  Here is AGS' comment on his picture as follows.

Third place, with a real taste of China, was awarded to Zeng Gang, the Director of the Sichuan Ecology Centre, for his stunning image of Meconopsis integrifolia. By choosing to zoom in a little closer than a plant portrait, Zeng Gang has used the magnified water droplets to create a 'precipitate aura'. These can be seen clinging to the hairs on the leaves, forming neat rows along the leaf margins, and dripping from the petals which form a protective umbrella over the valuable pollen within. This delightful artstry was all captured on film without the benefits of digital wizardry, which just goes to show that beauty is still in the eye of the photographer and not in the technology of the camera. And if you want to recreate such beauty in your own private space, many Meconopsis , including the species illustrated here, are available as seed if nursery-grown plants cannot be found.

The variable Meconopsis integrifolia, here photographed in W Sichuan

->>You may click here to download a full size of this picture.