Ink droplets in motion snag top prize in Nikon Small World contest

“Ole Bielfeldt’s winning image embodies what makes Nikon Small World so powerful: the intersection of microscope imaging, ingenuity, and artistry,” said Eric Flem, a spokesperson for Nikon Instruments. “By using a microscope objective in a different way, he transformed a familiar object into something altogether new and previously unseen. It is a reminder that the microscope is not only a scientific tool but also a creative one, capable of expanding how we see and imagine the world around us.”

Founded in 1974, the Nikon Small World competition celebrates its 52nd anniversary this year. In 2011, the company added the Small World in Motion competition (see the 2026 winner here). Both are meant “to showcase the beauty and complexity of things seen through the light microscope”—one through still photographs, the other through photovideography, taking advantage of all the technological advances that now allow users to make movies or time-lapse images through the microscope.

Here are the top 10 winners of this year’s competition; the full list, with honorable mentions, can be found here. Nikon is also producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring the 2026 winners.

Microscopic view of an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper. Ole Bielfeldt