Unveiling a World Too Small to See
Every year, the Nikon Small World photomicrography contest turns a scientific pastime into a celebration of art. Since 1975, photographers and scientists have pushed the boundaries of light microscopy to reveal landscapes, textures, and creatures so small that they are almost invisible to the naked eye. The 2024 competition, like those before it, pairs technical prowess with a keen eye for composition, yielding images that feel both hauntingly familiar and wonderfully alien.
First Prize: A Rice Weevil in a Moment of Flight and Silence
This year’s top prize went to Zhang You of China for a striking image of a rice weevil perched on a grain of rice. The insect, best known as a pest that lays eggs inside grains, is captured in a moment of stillness with its wings spread. The scene hints at the weevil’s hidden life—inside the grain as it nourishes and grows—while the gap between macro detail and universal drama invites viewers to reconsider the tiny dramas unfolding in everyday food.
