For more than 50 years, the Nikon Small World Competition has brought the wonders of the unseen world into focus, showcasing a gallery of breathtaking photos and videos taken through optic microscopes. The competition is open to artists, scientists and hobbyists alike, and receives international recognition in the media each year. As we approach the April 30, 2025 deadline for submitting entries to this year’s competition, we invite you to join us in reflecting on some of the most impressive media highlights from the 2024 competition.
The 2024 Nikon Small World Competition in the Media
Posted on April 04, 2025
Nikon Small World's winners and their stunning imagery appeared in hundreds of publications, reaching nearly two billion people worldwide. Publications including National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Business Insider and CNN all told the Nikon Small World story and showcased the incredible winning images. Read more about each of these features below:
From spines on neurons to pollen on an insect’s eye, National Geographic’s Lauren Potts highlighted the eye-catching gallery of 2024 photo competition winners. You can read the full article here.
Insects and cancer cells and cat claws, oh my! Sarah Kuta at Smithsonian Magazine pulled 15 of 2024’s microscopic imaging marvels into focus while illuminating the scientific significance of the first-place winning image. Read the full article here.
The November 2024 cover of Nature Methods featured the 4th place winner of the 2024 photo competition, a fluorescence image of a mouse small intestine section captured by Dr. Amy Engevik of the Medical University of South Carolina. Also included in this issue is a pictorial editorial celebrating the “beauty of microscopy,” along with a selection of other winning images from the 50th anniversary competition. Read the full article here.
Fifth place in the 2024 Small World in Motion competition went to Quinten Geldhof for his video of a baby tardigrade riding a nematode. The little critter earned itself big recognition in The Guardian, Business Insider, Newsweek and more.
5th Place, 2024 Nikon Small World in Motion Competition • Baby tardigrade riding a nematode • Quinten Geldhof • Winthrop, Massachusetts, USA • Darkfield • 10X (objective lens magnification)
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) called the 2024 Small World in Motion competition’s winning videos “more vivid than the latest Marvel movie” — and no CGI in sight! This article unveils the top five video competition winners; read it here.
If you are interested in sharing your digital images and/or movies with the public, enter the Nikon Small World Competition before the clock runs out!
Contestants may submit up to three images or movies digitally at the Nikon Small World Entry Portal. Entries will be judged by industry experts on a variety of criteria such as originality, technical proficiency, and visual impact. Entrants may use any brand of equipment to create their images or videos. Good luck!
