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For 50 years, the Nikon Small World Competition has captivated audiences across the globe with scientific marvels and artistic imagery captured under the microscope. As we approach the April 30th deadline for the 2024 competition, we can’t help but reflect on the exciting buzz and newsworthy features that recent Photomicrography Competitions have generated.

Our winners and their stunning imagery appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide, with highlights from publications such as National Geographic, Nature Methods, Smithsonian Magazine, CNN and The Washington Post.

We even made it to Hollywood and were featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Access Hollywood.

National Geographic

A cluster of human milk ducts, a puff of smoke and the fruiting body of a slime mold – Science Journalist Nadia Drake at National Geographic highlighted Nikon Small World winners and the striking pictures that gave a glimpse into the inner workings of the microscopic realm. You can read the full article here.

Nature Methods

The first-place image of an embryonic hand of a Madagascar giant day gecko (Phelsuma grandis) graced the cover of Nature Methods. Submitted by Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch from the University of Geneva, the image celebrated the beauty of scientific imaging. The journal also featured additional winning images in an accompanying article inside the magazine. You can read the full article here.

Smithsonian Magazine

For Sarah Kuta at Smithsonian Magazine, the Nikon Small World Competition “highlights the utter beauty and sheer complexity of teeny-tiny scenes.” We can’t help but agree. You can read the full article here.

CNN

“Terrifying” and “creepy” are a few words that came to mind when the world had a look at Dr. Eugenijus Kavaliauskas’ Honorable Mention image of an Ant (Camponotus). In her article for CNN, Writer Zoe Sottile compares this image to an outtake from a horror movie. You can read the full article here.

The Washington Post

María Luisa Paúl, a reporter at The Washington Post, had a chance to speak with Dr. Eugenijus Kavaliauskas about his terrifying image that took the world by storm.

For Dr. Kavaliauskas, the photo he captured by magnifying an ant’s face five times under a stereo microscope is an example of “God’s designs and the many interesting, beautiful, unknown miracles under people’s feet,” he told The Washington Post.

The photo — which was honored with an Image of Distinction in Nikon’s 2022 Small World Photomicrography Competition — was quickly dubbed by Twitter users as nightmare fuel.

You can read the full article 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! To learn more about the competition and how to enter, you can visit the following page. Good luck!