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

Image source: © Zhang You | Nikon Small World "Rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) on a grain of rice."

#2 2nd Place: Dr. Jan Rosenboom, Rostock, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Germany

Image source: © Dr. Jan Rosenboom | Nikon Small World "Colonial algae (Volvox) spheres in a drop of water."

#3 3rd Place: John-Oliver Dum, Medienbunker Produktion, Bendorf, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany

Image source: © John-Oliver Dum | Nikon Small World "Pollen in a garden spider web."

#4 Honorable Mention: Gregory B. Murray, Pritchard, British Columbia, Canada

Image source: © Gregory B. Murray | Nikon Small World "Frost on a wooden railing."

#5 Image Of Distinction: Ye Fei Zhang, Jiang Yin, Jiang Su, China

Image source: © Ye fei Zhang | Nikon Small World "Butterfly (Artopoetes pryeri) eggs."

#6 5th Place: Dr. Igor Siwanowicz, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Hhmi), Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, USA

Image source: © Dr. Igor Siwanowicz | Nikon Small World "Spores (blue/purple structures) of a small tropical fern (Ceratopteris richardii)."

#7 Image Of Distinction: Marek Miś, Marek Miś Photography, Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland

Image source: © Marek Miś | Nikon Small World "Crystallized soy sauce."

#8 Image Of Distinction: Dr. David Maitland, Art Of Science, St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom

Image source: © Dr. David Maitland | Nikon Small World "Vascular bundles in a bamboo leaf (Phyllostachys sp.)."

#9 11th Place: Marek Miś, Marek Miś Photography, Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland

Image source: © Marek Miś | Nikon Small World "Sunflower trichomes (hair-like plant outgrowths)."

#10 Honorable Mention: Michael Parra Puentes, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia

Image source: © Michael Parra Puentes | Nikon Small World "Thoracic and cephalic horn of a male beetle (Golofa porteri)."

#11 13th Place: Henri Koskinen, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Uudenmaan Lääni, Finland

Image source: © Henri Koskinen | Nikon Small World "Slime mold (Arcyria major) releasing spores."

#12 14th Place: Manfred Heising, Lwl Museum Of Natural History Münster, Münster, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany

Image source: © Manfred Heising | Nikon Small World "Quartz with biotic goethite filaments."

#13 Image Of Distinction: Dr. Gonzalo Quiroga Artigas, Crbm-Cnrs, Montpellier, Herault, France

Image source: © Dr. Gonzalo Quiroga Artigas | Nikon Small World "Tardigrade."

#14 Honorable Mention: Michael Robert Peres, Rochester Institute Of Technology, School Of Photographic Arts And Sciences, Rochester, New York, USA

Image source: © Michael Robert Peres | Nikon Small World "Melting snowflake."

#15 Image Of Distinction: Daniel Evrard, Aywaille, Liege, Belgium

Image source: © Daniel Evrard | Nikon Small World "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

Image source: © Dr. Francisco Lázaro-Diéguez | Nikon Small World "Dedifferentiated liver cell."

#17 Image Of Distinction: Jianguo Mao, Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Image source: © Jianguo Mao | Nikon Small World "Pregnant water flea (Daphnia)."

#18 Image Of Distinction: Karl Deckart, Eckental, Bavaria, Germany

Image source: © Karl Deckart | Nikon Small World "Recrystallization of phenyl imidazol."

#19 Image Of Distinction: Dr. Michael Weber, Berlin Institute Of Health At Charité, Department Of Human Genetics, Berlin, Germany

Image source: © Dr. Michael Weber | Nikon Small World "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

Image source: © Dr. Bruno Cisterna and Dr. Eric Vitriol | Nikon Small World "Human neurons reprogrammed from skin cells."