Nikon has just announced the winners of its annual Small World Photomicrography competition, and as you can see from these stunning photographs, bigger isn’t always better.
The competition is in its 42nd year and this year over 2000 people from 70 countries entered. For those that don’t know, photomicrography is the practise of taking a photograph through a microscope or similar magnifying device in order to capture the intricate details of things invisible to the human eye.
From the proboscis of a butterfly and the foot of a beetle to espresso coffee crystals, the pictures below give us a whole new way of looking at world. The categories are divided into winners, honorable mentions, and images of distinction, and you can find the full list on the Nikon Small World website.
#1 First Place. Four-Day-Old Zebrafish Embryo
#2 Fourth Place. Butterfly Proboscis
#3 Thirteenth Place. Poison Fangs Of A Centipede
#4 Eyes Of A Jumping Spider
#5 Fifth Place. Front Foot (Tarsus) Of A Male Diving Beetle
#6 Retinal Ganglion Cells In The Whole-Mounted Mouse Retina
#7 Eleventh Place. Scales Of A Butterfly Wing Underside
#8 Ninth Place. Espresso Coffee Crystals
#9 Eighth Place. Wildflower Stamens
#10 Seventh Place. Leaves Of Selaginella
#11 Goatsbeard Flower
#12 Second Place. Polished Slab Of Teepee Canyon Agate
#13 Egg Of A Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
#14 Sixth Place. Air Bubbles Formed From Melted Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Crystals
#15 Spore Capsule Of A Moss
#16 Robber Fly
More info: Nikon Small World (h/t: demilked | Boredpanda)
