yhjc26923 hours ago
"Neurons in an expanded mouse brain" (3rd place) is also stunning:
https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2026-photomicrogra...
I didn't know brains actually look like this inside. Our world truly is beautiful, across all scales!
changoplatanero2 hours ago
i'm not an expert but i think the word expansion here is referring to techniques they use to spread everything out in order to make it easier to see. someone told me that they use the same material that baby diapers are made out of which expands when you soak it in water.
landonxjames3 hours ago
There is an interesting video of his rig for this shot in this article: https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/masters-of-microscopy/ole-bi...
_ache_an hour ago
The video is nice but the movement is inverted from the photo.
I would like to redo the setup myself.
doctorzook4 hours ago
It’s a great photo, but the second-place jumping spider is my favorite: it is just so adorable.
https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2026-photomicrogra...
JumpCrisscross3 hours ago
The parasitoid wasp doing its little dance move [1] gave me a chuckle.
[1] https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2026-photomicrogra...
jacquesm3 hours ago
It is! What are the little balls, are they pollen?
hack13123 hours ago
Yes, the title of the photo is “Jumping spider (Salticus scenicus) with pollen”
jacquesm3 hours ago
Hah, ok, totally missed that, thank you. But it seemed an obvious candidate, they reminded me of those clingy balls that come off some plants so I figured they must be something like that.
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King-Aaron4 hours ago
When I first saw this photo I refused to believe it was real. This is just so otherworldly, it's fantastic.
Smoosh3 hours ago
I still have misgivings that it is AI generated or modified, but assume that the judges have done their due diligence. I’m a little saddened that I now have to question things such as this.
Liuser2 hours ago
From the article: “Bielfeldt does not use AI in his images, preferring to rely on traditional techniques.”
gnabgib2 hours ago
Yes. Macro photography always looks a little fake. Plus Nikon Small World doesn't have a good track record in 2026.
Smoosh2 hours ago
I see that it uses stacked images, so that can account for the lack of normal focus cues.
MBCook3 hours ago
I think they had a problem with that last year, so I suspect they may be extra vigilant.
gnabgib2 hours ago
erickhill20 minutes ago
I've been seeing this photo all over the place recently.
hn-aarvin5 hours ago
The same photographer has two other photographs[^1] which previously were ranked highly in the contest. All seem to focus on chemical reactions and are stunning.
Interestingly, the previous two—of a candle and match—used 2.5x magnification, where as this one required 20x magnification, which just goes to show as to how tiny the printer mechanics really are.
selectodude4 hours ago
Inkjet printers for their faults are some of the most insane technology that I can think of.
yhjc26923 hours ago
Yep, the entire field of MEMS is both outlandishly complex and fascinating. For those who are curious, take a quick look at https://courses.washington.edu/me557/nthu/mems.pdf, which gives a nice overview of the different mechanisms and manufacturing processes involved.
cellsstudioan hour ago
Thanks for sharing - what an incredible perspective on the mundane. Seriously seems like peering into an alien world and really it's just what's happen while someone sips their coffee and stares at a wall haha.
Anyone seen Thirteenth Floor that old 90s VR movie? Really reminds me of the power for that.
jcims3 hours ago
Looks like this is the instragram page of the photographer for the inkjet photo.
It's very obviously not a standard inkjet printer setup, but if you poke around you'll see some custom rigs that make it come together.
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melqan hour ago
Pollen (second photo with the spider) looks so sinister!
7kago_yomi2 hours ago
Next, I would like him to visualize the "macro" economy side of things too.