Meet the Winners of the Nikon Small World 2019 Competition

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Winners of Nikon Small World Photo 2019 Contest Named 

There’s beauty and wonder in the small things, and nowhere can this ring any truer than in the annual Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. The said contest has always been famous for its entries of both the minuscule and fantastical, and the participants of the 2019 edition are no different. At the official announcement of this year’s winners, it was proven again just how beautiful and magnificent even the smallest of photography subjects can be. Let’s meet the winners of the 45th annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography Contest.

Nikon Small World Photo 2019 Contest Winners:

Third Place

Mr. Daniel Smith Paredes - Third place, Nikon Small World Photo Contest 2019
abc.net.au

Getting the third place trophy was an entry from Mr. Daniel Smith Paredes from the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Yale University. Together with his associate Dr. Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar, he submitted his photograph of an American alligator embryo at around 20 days of development. The picture shows in particular detail the development of the embryo as it begins to develop nerves and a skeletal system.

Mr. Paredes is currently studying vertebrate anatomy, with a focus on development and evolution. He was able to capture his prize-winning photo using the photographic technique of immunofluorescence. 

Second Place

Dr. Igor Siwanowicz - Second place, Nikon Small World Photo Contest 2019
iphotochannel.com.br

The second place winner was Dr. Igor Siwanowicz from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a veteran of the said photographic competition. Dr. Siwanowicz’s submission was a composite photograph of three single-cell freshwater protozoans, who are also known by the term “trumpet animalcules.” In order to capture the details of the image, especially the cilia of the animals, Dr. Siwanowicz took advantage of the technology of confocal microscopy. 

First Place

The first place honor went to Teresa Zgoda and Kugler, a microscopy technician and a university graduate, and both from Campbell Hall, New York, USA. They were awarded the grand prize for incredible photograph featuring a turtle embryo. They made use of both techniques of stereo microscopy and fluorescence, which led to them achieving the final award-winning result. 

Teresa Zgoda and Kugler - First Place, Nikon Small World Photo Contest 2019
livescience.com

The Nikon Small World event is widely regarded as the leading avenue where photographers the world over can show off their skills and ability to showcase the immense beauty and complexity of various forms of life as seen through a microscope. The competition can be joined by anyone, both amateurs and professionals, who have a passion for photography and microscopy. They can submit any film or digital time-lapse photo as long as it’s taken through a microscope. 

Eric Flem, communications manager of Nikon Instruments, said in an official statement, “Our goal has always been to show the world how art and science intersect. As new imaging and microscopy techniques develop over the years, our winners showcase these technology advances more and more creatively. First place this year is no exception.”

This year’s competition received a total of over 2,000 submissions from approximately 100 countries. Out of the thousands of entries, only about 86 were given recognition by Nikon Small World. This post has only featured the top three, but the rest of the winners can be seen on their official website

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