Winners of the 1987 Small World contest came from such fields as pathology, biology, anatomy, chemistry, biophysics, botany, metallurgy, and marine science. The distinguished panel of judges included Martin L. Scott (Scientific Imaging), George Watchmaker (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), James A. Dvorak (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), and Roger P. Loveland (Kodak Research Laboratories).

• First Prize
  Julie Macklin and Dr. Graeme Laver
  Australian National University
  John Curtin School of Medical Research
  Canberra, Australia
  Crystals of influenza virus neuraminidase isolated from terns (14x)
  Brightfield with Colored Filters

• Second Prize
  Silvio Demian Fridman
  Miami Beach, Florida, USA
  Shell (10x)
  Darkfield

• Third Prize
  Dr. Per R. Flood
  University of Bergen, Institute of Anatomy
  Bergen, Norway
  Microdissected and unfolded rudiment of the mucous house of a planktonic animal Oikopleura labradoriensis (40x)
  A. Polarized Light
  B. Double Exposure (Polarized Light/Darkfield)
  C. Superimposed Exposures of House Rudiment (Polarized Light) and Trunk Epithelium

• Fourth Prize
  Roland O. Marsh, Jr.
  Madigan Army Medical Center
  Tacoma, Washington, USA
  Obelia medusa (50x)
  Darkfield

• Fifth Prize
  Arthur Strange
  BIOARTS: Photography for Science Education
  Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
  Acetaminophen crystals (20x)
  Polarized Light

• Sixth Prize
  Dr. Randolph L. Rill
  Florida State University, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Molecular Biophysics
  Tallahassee, Florida, USA
  Controlled concentration gradient in slowly drying DNA solution (25x)
  Polarized Light

• Seventh Prize
  Howard E. Schneider
  Spin Physics/Kodac
  San Diego, California, USA
  Two types of glass filaments in epoxy binder (150x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Eighth Prize
  Yang Zuo-Chen
  Department of Geography
  Changchun Teachers Training College
  Changchun Jilin, The People's Republic of China
  Single crystals of ZnS:Cu (200x) Electroluminescence

• Ninth Prize
  Michael W. Davidson
  Florida State University, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Molecular Biophysics
  Tallahassee, Florida, USA
  Multiple exposure of concentrated DNA solution of nucleosome corelength DNA molecules in ammonium acetate buffer (25x)
  Polarized Light

• Tenth Prize
  Greg Daniels, Ann Grabau and Jack Yahl
  McDonnell Douglas Corporation
  St. Louis, Missouri
  Delamination of a PET film (25x)
  Brightfield, Electronically Enhanced

• Eleventh Prize
  Robert L. Calentine
  University of Wisconsin
  River Falls, Wisconsin, USA
  Deer fly Tabanidae head (11x)
  Brightfield

• Twelfth Prize
  Denise Hoffer Whiting
  Rochester Institute of Technology
  Rochester, New York, USA
  Section of coronary artery showing nearly total occlusion (13.2x)
  Darkfield

• Thirteenth Prize
  James C. Ducale
  J.P. Blanchard, M.D., Inc.
  Santa Barbara, California, USA
  Ascorbic acid (100x)
  Polarized Light

• Fourteenth Prize
  Pentti J. Alho
  Helsinki, Finland
  Snow crystal (20x)
  Rheinberg Illumination

• Fifteenth Prize
  M.I. (Spike) Walker
  Penkridge, Staffs, England
  Sulphur crystals (12.5x)
  Polarized Light and Rheinberg Illumination

• Sixteenth Prize
  Marc Van Hove
  CENTEXBEL
  Gent, Belgium
  Monofilament spiral forming part of a zipper (10x)
  Brightfield

• Seventeenth Prize
  Robert Berdan
  University of Calgary, Department of Medical Physiology
  Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  Radial section of secondary xylem from eastern white pine, Pinus strobus (50x)
  Polarized Light

• Eighteenth Prize
  Bob Semple
  Federal Fisheries & Oceans
  Fisheries Research Lab
  Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  Molting lobster larvae in salt water (12x)
  Darkfield

• Nineteenth Prize
  Thomas E. Carney
  E.I. DuPont Co.
  Wilmington, Delaware, USA
  graphite fiber (100x)
  Polarized Light

• Twentieth Prize
  Vincent Garofalo
  State University of New York
  Health Science Center
  Brooklyn, New York, USA
  Fusion preparation of photographic stabilizer solution (25x)
  Polarized Light

The Nikon Small World Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography through the microscope. Truly international in scope, entries have been received from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Winners have included both professionals and hobbyists.

The subject matter for this year's contest is unrestricted and any type of light microscopy technique is acceptable, including phase contrast, polarized light, fluorescence, interference contrast, darkfield, confocal, deconvolution, and mixed techniques. Entries submitted to Nikon are then judged by an independent panel of experts who are recognized authorities in the area of photomicrography and photography. These entries are judged on the basis of originality, informational content, technical proficiency and visual impact.

For the first time, entries may be submitted either on film (in 35 millimeter transparency format) or uploaded digitally through your web browser. The links below provide options for entering the contest.

Digital Entries - Entrants may enter Nikon's Small World Competition by uploading digital images directly to our servers. Before you begin, read the Contest Rules and prepare your images for uploading according to the instructions. You may also download a 2008 Competition Entry Form in portable document format for submission of entries by mail.

Prize List - Winners will receive one of 20 prizes, sorted according to rank in the competition. First place is a vacation trip valued at $5000 (US) or the equivalent amount of photographic, scientific, or industrial equipment and accessories at their suggested retail selling prices in the USA. Honorable mention winners will receive an 16 x 20-inch print of their entries.