A CLAN of Weston's finest grandees officially opened a prestigious photography exhibition last week.
Special guests of the evening, mayor Cllr Sonia Russe and consort Mr David Ray, were the first to view the Wildlife Photographer of the Year show at Weston Museum.
The internationally acclaimed awards saw the best talents in the snapping world come together and form a display of 100 photographs in wonder of Mother Nature's mystique.
Now for almost three months, on loan from London's Natural History Museum, these exceptional images, which capture animals and their behaviour, hope to inspire a future of advocating for the planet.
"The pictures convey human impact on the natural world in a way that words cannot," Natural History Museum director Dr Doug Gurr, said.
On November 25, a private launch party formed of councillors and other dignitaries sought to be the first of many to try and get a grip on life's curiosities encapsulated in a single shot.
Some of the many images include a portrait of a bear in a disappearing habitat, a dying lake, the courtship display of a Canary Islands houbara bird and the electrifying reproductive dance of a giant sea star.
The competition launched in 1965 and today receives thousands of entries from 90 different countries.
Cllr Russe said: "It's been such an immense privilege to see these truly marvellous pictures on display in Weston - what a unique honour.
"They're fascinating to see and you can spend hours just looking at one. I do hope people are inspired after they come to view these treasures for free and think about what they can do to save our dying planet."
The evening kickstarted with a talk by local historian and councillor, John Crockford-Hawley.
He said: "What we've got here is a whole series of pictures taken by well-renowned international photographers who have been part of the competitive photography world.
"Weston Museum has hosted exhibitions from three of Britain's biggest museums - the Imperial War, British and now we've got the Natural History Museum - that says a lot about our relatively small one."
Cllr Crockford-Hawley then thanked museum staff and the A1 Camera Club for capturing every Burlington Street exhibit item.
It is being displayed in the William Mable Gallery room until February 8.
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