Nikon Small World (Nikon's Small World) is a photographic contest run by

Nikon Instruments Nikon Instruments is a division of the Nikon Corporation, which is headquartered in Tokyo. Its US operations are based in Melville, New York and its European operations in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Nikon Instruments is a specialist in optical ins ...

and a

forum Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to: Common uses * Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example *Internet ...

for showcasing the beauty and complexity of

life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

as seen through the

light microscope The optical microscope, also referred to as a light microscope, is a type of microscope that commonly uses visible light and a system of lenses to generate magnified images of small objects. Optical microscopes are the oldest design of microsco ...

. It serves as a window into a world that can only be seen through the lens of an

optical microscope The optical microscope, also referred to as a light microscope, is a type of microscope that commonly uses visible light and a system of lenses to generate magnified images of small objects. Optical microscopes are the oldest design of microsco ...

. The contest comprises two separate

competitions Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indivi ...

: * The annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in

microscopy Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view objects and areas of objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye (objects that are not within the resolution range of the normal eye). There are three well-known branches of micr ...

and

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

from the widest array of scientific disciplines. The competition first began in 1975 as a means to recognize the efforts of those involved with

through the

. Any type of camera equipment and light microscopy technique is acceptable, including

phase contrast Phase-contrast imaging is a method of imaging that has a range of different applications. It exploits differences in the refractive index of different materials to differentiate between structures under analysis. In conventional light microscopy, ph ...

polarized light Polarization (also polarisation) is a property applying to transverse waves that specifies the geometrical orientation of the oscillations. In a transverse wave, the direction of the oscillation is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the ...

fluorescence Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...

, interference contrast, dark-field,

confocal In geometry, confocal means having the same foci: confocal conic sections. * For an optical cavity consisting of two mirrors, confocal means that they share their foci. If they are identical mirrors, their radius of curvature, ''R''mirror, equals ' ...

deconvolution In mathematics, deconvolution is the operation inverse to convolution. Both operations are used in signal processing and image processing. For example, it may be possible to recover the original signal after a filter (convolution) by using a deco ...

, and mixed techniques. * The annual Nikon Small World In Motion Competition encompasses any movie or digital

time-lapse photography Time-lapse photography is a technique in which the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than the frequency used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus ...

taken through the

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisibl ...

. The competition was first announced in 2011 as a new category of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. All competition entries (in 2021, almost 1,900 images from 88 countries and over 350 movies from 43 countries) are judged each year by an independent panel of four to five experts who are chosen by Nikon as recognized authorities in the area of photomicrography and photography as well as in imaging, science and scientific communications. The entries are assessed based on the originality, informational content, technical proficiency, and visual impact. The judges are not given any brand information. Winners have included both professionals and amateurs. The prize-winners of each year (top winners and memorable mentions) are exhibited at museums and science centers throughout the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Many winning images are also featured in newspapers and on the covers of scientific and other journals. Nikon does not own the

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...

and only requests an image or video release from those who have won for unrestricted permission with relation to the competition.

References

External links

* for both Nikon Small World competitions * YouTube for Nikon Small World in Motion prize-winners {{Authority control Image-sharing websites Lists of photographs Photography awards Awards established in 1975 Awards established in 2011 1956 establishments in the United States 2011 establishments in the United States Nikon

See also

References

External links