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 canine melanoma specimen taken with blue/yellow Rheinberg illumination.

Infiltrating Melanoma in Canine Dermis Original Magnification: 39x Specimen: Hematoxylin and Eosin Section Technique: Blue/Yellow Rheinberg Illumination

If the Canine Adnexal Nevus is a Picasso, than this image is a Van Gogh. The abstract swirl of the connective tissue, combined with the yellow and red of the melanotic cells and the deep blue background evoke comparison to "Starry Night." From a technical point of view, this image was created with Rheinberg illumination - a technique very similar to darkfield except that, instead of blocking all transmitted light with an opaque field stop, a colored stop (in this case blue) allows some light to pass. In darkfield, white light from the edges illuminates the structure, giving rise to the image. In Rheinberg, the center colored stop is surrounded with another colored filter (in this case yellow) which is the primary illumination for the structures.