The key facts
- Nikon held the 52nd competition of the most impressive images taken through a microscope
- The winning shot shows an inkjet printer in action, by Ole Bielfeldt from Cologne
- The top three also included a shot of a spider in pollen and neurons of a mouse brain
A Regular Printer's Shot Takes the Win
Nikon has held its competition for the 52nd time, selecting the most impressive images obtained with a microscope. The winning works offer a new look at everyday life through details usually invisible to the eye. First place went to Ole Bielfeldt, a student and experienced photographer from Cologne (Germany), who captured under a microscope the process of a printer spraying ink onto paper. He built a special device himself for the shoot. His Macrofying project is dedicated to showing ordinary objects and processes from an unexpected angle through photomicrography. According to the photographer, printing on a printer happens so quickly and repeatedly that people hardly ever think about what it looks like at the microscopic level, and the camera reveals the unnoticed details of this familiar process.
Second and Third Places
Second place went to John-Oliver Dum for a shot of the jumping spider Salticus scenicus, whose body is covered in flower pollen. Third place was awarded to the work by Kaelin Wolf and Rachel Flannery depicting neurons in a mouse brain.
Other Recognized Works
Among the other highly rated works of the competition are shots of insects, plants, cells, and even a pencil lead under the effect of an electrical discharge, including an image of the acorn weevil Curculio nucum.
