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 arabidopsis seedling specimen taken with blue/white Rheinberg illumination plus external bare bulb.

Arabidopsis Seedling Pushing Through Soil Original Magnification: 15x Specimen: Unstained seedling and soil Technique: Blue/White Rheinberg Illumination plus External Bare Bulb

The object of this image was to re-create what it would look like to see this small arabidopsis seedling forcing its way up through the soil. The experiment this was a part of caused the curl in the plant. The seedling, growing in agar, was taken out and laid down on a microscope slide with the wet agar still providing moisture through the root. Small bits of soil were pushed into place with the tip of a paintbrush and Rheinberg illumination was used to create the bit of blue in the background, while still transilluminating the bottom of the seedling with white light from the edges. An external microscope bulb (see the mouse testis photomicrograph) provided top light and shadowing as if from the sun coming from above.