Photomicrographer James E. Hayden, RBP has been a consistent winner of the Small World competition for many years. Featured below is a photomicrograph of a tapeworm specimen taken with darkfield illumination.

Anoplocephala perfoliata (Tapeworm) in Equine Cecum Original Magnification: 12.5x Specimen: Hematoxylin and Eosin Section Technique: Darkfield Illumination

Comments: Visual impact is an important first element in choosing subjects for creative microscopy. Most often, the detail can only be seen through the microscope and the microscopist faces long hours of searching for interesting images. In this case, the longitudinal section through a tapeworm was easily seen with a quick glance at the hematoxylin and eosin slide and the unusual specimen immediately leant itself to further exploration. When viewed with darkfield, the colors that resulted added the final touch to an arresting image. This photomicrograph won 7th place in the 1998 Small World competition.