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Marriage of science and art: 'Nikon Small World' showcases photography taken through a microscope
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Orange lines and gold squiggles radiate from the dark center of the image like some sort of astral projection.
The vibrant composition actually captures a rodent optic nerve head with its brilliant blend of astrocytes, contractile proteins and retinal vasculature. Hassanain Qambari鈥檚 tight shot captured first place in the 2023 49th annual Nikon Small World competition.
鈥淣ikon Small World鈥� is open at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science through Sept. 8. The result is a marriage between science and art.
Marriage of science and art: Nikon Small World showcases photography taken through a microscope
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to show off the best photography taken through the microscope this year,鈥� said Anthony Fiorillo, museum executive director.
The rodent cell 鈥渓ooks like something out of science fiction,鈥� said Matt Celeskey, museum curator. 鈥淚t resembles a wormhole. But it鈥檚 something that exists in the natural world. It鈥檚 that fantastic voyage perspective.鈥�
Ole Bielfeldt鈥檚 photo of a matchstick igniting from the friction of a box reveals the bead-like charred nuggets beneath the flames. The image took second place in the contest.
鈥淵ou think back to the last time you struck a match,鈥� Celeskey said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always something magical when that happens.鈥�
Its inviting pink surface centered by a heart, Malgorzata Lisowska鈥檚 photo of breast cancer cells is chilling in its beauty.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e sucked in by this innocent-looking image,鈥� Celeskey said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 research purpose that goes on behind a lot of these, too.鈥�
John-Oliver Dum鈥檚 close-up of the venomous fangs of a small tarantula is made even more sinister by its red hairs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 some sort of visceral sense of danger,鈥� Celeskey said.
At the other extreme, the image of a Russian olive leaf by David Maitland resembles a dark sky exploding with fireworks on the Fourth of July.
鈥淧art of it looks like a coral reef or an anemone or something astral,鈥� Celeskey added.
The photograph of slime mold by Timothy Boomer looks like something out of a Salvador Dal铆 canvas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very alien-looking thing,鈥� Celeskey said.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition was established to recognize excellence in photography through the microscope. It is widely recognized as the leading forum for recognizing the art, proficiency and photographic excellence involved in photomicrography. The museum previously hosted the exhibition during the spring of 2023.
鈥淣ikon Small World鈥� is included with museum admission.
