• 1st place. © Yousef Al Habshi. Eye of a Metapocyrtus subquadrulifer beetle.
    1st place. © Yousef Al Habshi. Eye of a Metapocyrtus subquadrulifer beetle.
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Nikon Small World competition winners revealed

22 October 2018

The winners have recently been announced for the the 44th annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. In 2018, entries were received from just under 2,500 scientists and artists from 89 countries. Images were judged based on originality, informational content, technical proficiency, and visual impact. An image of an Asian Red Palm weevil’s eye by Emirati photographer, Yousef Al Habshi was selected as the overall winner.

The beetle, typically found in the Philippines, measures less than 11mm. To create the image, Al Habshi stacked over 128 micrographs fo the final result. One of the main technical challenges for him was to show the black body against the black background without overexposing the skin and scales. “Because of the variety of colouring and the lines that display in the eyes of insects, I feel like I’m photographing a collection of jewellery,” Al Habshi said. “Not all people appreciate small species, particularly insects. Through photomicrography we can find a whole new, beautiful world which hasn’t been seen before. It’s like discovering what lies under the Ocean’s surface.”

2nd place. © Rogelio Moreno Gill. Fern sorus (structures producing and containing spores).
2nd place. © Rogelio Moreno Gill. Fern sorus (structures producing and containing spores).
3rd place. © Saulius Gugis. Spittlebug nymph in its bubble house.
3rd place. © Saulius Gugis. Spittlebug nymph in its bubble house.
4th place. © Can Tunçer. Peacock feather section.
4th place. © Can Tunçer. Peacock feather section.
5th place. © Dr. Tessa Montague. Parasteatoda tepidariorum (spider embryo) stained for embryo surface (pink), nuclei (blue) and microtubules (green).
5th place. © Dr. Tessa Montague. Parasteatoda tepidariorum (spider embryo) stained for embryo surface (pink), nuclei (blue) and microtubules (green).
6th place. © Hanen Khabou. Primate foveola (central region of the retina).
6th place. © Hanen Khabou. Primate foveola (central region of the retina).
7th place. © Norm Barker. Human tear drop.
7th place. © Norm Barker. Human tear drop.
8th place. © Pia Scanlon. Portrait of Sternochetus mangiferae (mango seed weevil).
8th place. © Pia Scanlon. Portrait of Sternochetus mangiferae (mango seed weevil).
9th place. © Dr. Haris Antonopoulos. Security hologram.
9th place. © Dr. Haris Antonopoulos. Security hologram.
10th place. © Dr. Csaba Pintér. Stalks with pollen grains.
10th place. © Dr. Csaba Pintér. Stalks with pollen grains.

Click here to see the Top 20 winners, along with all the Honorable Mentions, and Images of Distinction. 

 

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