Nikon's Small World Photo Competition

[oneh2obabe]

Nikon Small World 2011 - The Lives Within a Drop of Water

Toronto Star Picture Editor Wanda Goodwin shares these fascinating images from The Nikon Small World Competition. Celebrating its 37th year, Nikon Small World is the oldest and most respected competition of its kind. It has become the top forum for showing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope, and it celebrates the world's best photomicrographers who create beautiful imagery while demonstrating a variety of scientific disciplines.

The Lives within a Drop of Water - are images from this year’s competition showing the diversity and activity found within a single drop of water.

Come back tomorrow for the next installment of Nikon Small World - Women Photomicrographers - The World’s Top Women Photomicographers – images from the number of female winners included in this year’s competition across all levels of prizing.

John Gaynes, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
3 day post-fertilization zebrafish embryo
Confocal


Dr. Andrew Gillis. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK
Chiloscyllium plagiosum (Whitespotted bamboo shark), embryonic pectoral fin
Stereomicroscopy with fiber optic lighting


Joan Röhl, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Germany
Daphnia magna (freshwater water flea) (100X)
Differential Interference Contrast


Dr. Ralf Wagner
Düsseldorf, Germany
Daphnia sp. (water flea) and Volvox sp. (green algae)
Darkfield, flash


Dr. John H. Brackenbury, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Water droplet containing a pair of mosquito larvae
Laser-triggered high-speed macrophotography


Dr. Carlos Alberto Muñoz, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Alona sp. (crustacean) mounted in Canada Balsam with crystals and other artifacts
Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast


Wolfgang Bettighofer, Kiel, Germany
Closterium lunula (green alga), living specimen from a bog pond
Differential Interference Contrast


Jonathan Franks, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Algae biofilm
Confocal, autofluorescence


Frank Fox, Fachhochschule Trier, Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Melosira moniliformis, living specimen (320X)
Differential Interference Contrast


Gerd A. Guenther, Duesseldorf, Germany
Nassula ornata (freshwater ciliate), conjugation, living specimens (630X)
Differential Interference Contrast


Michael Shribak/ Dr. Irina Arkhipova, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Philodina roseola (bdelloid rotifer), live specimen
Video-enhanced polychromatic polarized light


Wim van Egmond, Micropolitan Museum, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Leptodora kindtii (giant waterflea) eye; living specimen
Differential Interference Contrast


Charles Krebs, Charles Krebs Photography, Issaquah, Washington, USA
Hydra sp. capturing water flea (40X)
Darkfield


Dr. Jan Michels, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Temora longicornis (marine copepod), ventral view (10X)
Confocal, Autofluorescence and Congo Red Fluorescence

[JLives]

Wow! Those are amazing images.

[grammafreddy]

Totally awesome.

My microscope is a 3-function one. It has 150X, 600X and 900X. I've been trying to figure out how I will marry one of my cameras to it. I've never used a microscope before so it'll be a learning curve - and a blast!

[JLives]

We need a new microscope. The kids received a play one last year but it's time for some real hardware.

[grammafreddy]

We need a new microscope. The kids received a play one last year but it's time for some real hardware.

I got mine from Value Village - $8. The whole set was complete with everything I need - just have to get the camera mount figured out. A paper towel roll may work. Will have to play a bit. And I'll need to use the remote to avoid any wiggle. I can even bounce the image onto a wall or screen and maybe shoot it that way - but that doesn't sound like as much fun.