20 Captivating Photos From Nikon’s 2025 Small World Winners
Every year, the competition invites photographers, scientists, and microscopy-enthusiasts to peer into the hidden micro-realms of life, materials, and structure. The 2025 edition of the competition (its 51st run) once again delivered astounding images: from insects frozen in flight to algae spheres dancing in droplets to crystallised sauces looking like alien landscapes.
These images are more than pretty, they combine scientific insight, technical craft, lighting/control mastery, and visual artistry. As noted in the event’s press release: “a standout work blends artistry with scientific rigor, capturing the very essence, energy and spirit of these creatures.”
Below we highlight some captivating photographs from the 2025 winners and honourees, each with a short commentary about what makes them special.
More info: nikonsmallworld.com | Instagram | Facebook | x.com
#1 1st Place: Zhang You, Kunming, Yunnan, China
“Rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) on a grain of rice.”
#2 2nd Place: Dr. Jan Rosenboom, Rostock, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Germany
“Colonial algae (Volvox) spheres in a drop of water.”
#3 3rd Place: John-Oliver Dum, Medienbunker Produktion, Bendorf, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany
“Pollen in a garden spider web.”
#4 Honorable Mention: Gregory B. Murray, Pritchard, British Columbia, Canada
“Frost on a wooden railing.”
#5 Image Of Distinction: Ye Fei Zhang, Jiang Yin, Jiang Su, China
“Butterfly (Artopoetes pryeri) eggs.”
#6 5th Place: Dr. Igor Siwanowicz, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Hhmi), Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
“Spores (blue/purple structures) of a small tropical fern (Ceratopteris richardii).”
#7 Image Of Distinction: Marek Miś, Marek Miś Photography, Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland
“Crystallized soy sauce.”
#8 Image Of Distinction: Dr. David Maitland, Art Of Science, St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
“Vascular bundles in a bamboo leaf (Phyllostachys sp.).”
#9 11th Place: Marek Miś, Marek Miś Photography, Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland
“Sunflower trichomes (hair-like plant outgrowths).”
#10 Honorable Mention: Michael Parra Puentes, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
“Thoracic and cephalic horn of a male beetle (Golofa porteri).”
#11 13th Place: Henri Koskinen, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Uudenmaan Lääni, Finland
“Slime mold (Arcyria major) releasing spores.”
#12 14th Place: Manfred Heising, Lwl Museum Of Natural History Münster, Münster, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
“Quartz with biotic goethite filaments.”
#13 Image Of Distinction: Dr. Gonzalo Quiroga Artigas, Crbm-Cnrs, Montpellier, Herault, France
“Tardigrade.”
#14 Honorable Mention: Michael Robert Peres, Rochester Institute Of Technology, School Of Photographic Arts And Sciences, Rochester, New York, USA
“Melting snowflake.”
#15 Image Of Distinction: Daniel Evrard, Aywaille, Liege, Belgium
“Androconial (pheromone producing) area of a butterfly (Colias) wing.”
#16 Image Of Distinction: Dr. Francisco Lázaro-Diéguez, Albert Einstein College Of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
“Dedifferentiated liver cell.”
#17 Image Of Distinction: Jianguo Mao, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
“Pregnant water flea (Daphnia).”
#18 Image Of Distinction: Karl Deckart, Eckental, Bavaria, Germany
“Recrystallization of phenyl imidazol.”
#19 Image Of Distinction: Dr. Michael Weber, Berlin Institute Of Health At Charité, Department Of Human Genetics, Berlin, Germany
“Blood vessels in the limb of an embryonic mouse.”
#20 Honorable Mention: Dr. Bruno Cisterna And Dr. Eric Vitriol, Medical College Of Georgia At Augusta University, Department Of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine, Augusta, Georgia, USA
“Human neurons reprogrammed from skin cells.”
Saumya Ratan
Saumya is an explorer of all things beautiful, quirky, and heartwarming. With her knack for art, design, photography, fun trivia, and internet humor, she takes you on a journey through the lighter side of pop culture.
