The 20th annual Small World contest drew images photographed utilizing a wide variety of techniques including brightfield, polarized light, darkfield, Rheinberg illumination, and differential interference contrast (DIC). Judges were Nancy L. Kedersha (Harvard University), Michael W. Davidson (Florida State University), William R. West (Carolina Biological Supply), and Martin L. Scott (Scientific Imaging).

• First Prize
  Jean Rüegger-Deschenaux
  Mikroskopische Gesellschaft
  Zurich, Switzerland
  Cross-section of very young beech (40x)
  Brightfield

• Second Prize
  Alejandro Andreatta
  UNIAX Corporation
  Santa Barbara, California, USA
  Vinylene film cast from solution (25x)
  Brightfield

• Third Prize
  Keith A. Yagaloff, Ph.D.
  Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc.
  Nutley, New Jersey, USA
  AZT crystal (25x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Fourth Prize
  Dr. Stephen F. Lowry
  University of Ulster
  Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK
  Separate images of live Daphnia and Volvox manipulated and merged using computer (10x)
  Darkfield

• Fifth Prize
  J. Robert Waaland
  Department of Botany
  University of Washington
  Seattle, Washington, USA
  Live marine red alga (Neoptilota asplenoides) (40x)
  Darkfield

• Sixth Prize
  William Marin, Jr.
  Brookhaven National Laboratory
  Upton, New York, USA
  Charge sensitive pre-amplifier (IC) with bonding wires attached (31x)
  Brightfield

• Seventh Prize
  Marc Van Hove
  Centexbel
  Zwÿnaarde, Belgium
  Ends of two unoriented polypropylene fibers (5x)
  Brightfield

• Eighth Prize
  Waldemar Bronakowski
  Polish Academy of Science
  Olsztyn, Poland
  Poppy seeds (10x)
  Brightfield

• Ninth Prize
  Lars Bech
  Deurne, The Netherlands
  Emodin melted with urea (50x)
  Polarized Light

• Tenth Prize
  Karl E. Deckart
  Eckental, Germany
  Electronic microchip (10x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Eleventh Prize
  Christian Gautier
  JACANA Press Agency
  Vanves, France
  Tong (radula) of Buccinum undatum (mollusk) (60x)
  Polarized Light

• Twelfth Prize
  Ronald Lee Dumas
  Johns Hopkins Hospital
  Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  Male deer tick (Ixodes damini) (10x)
  Rheinberg Illumination

• Thirteenth Prize
  Judith Watson
  Department of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences
  Royal School of Veterinary Studies
  Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
  Secretions in gastric pits of Babirusa stomach (90x)
  Brightfield

• Fourteenth Prize
  Dominique Toran-Allerand, M.D.
  College of Physicians and Surgeons
  Columbia University
  New York, New York, USA
  Culture of developing mouse neural tube (63x)
  Darkfield

• Fifteenth Prize
  Michael J. Klein, M.D.
  Department of Pathology
  Mount Sinai School of Medicine
  New York, New York, USA
  Splendore-Hoeppli Phenomenon in cyst fluid; fibrocystic disease of human breast (50x)
  Darkfield

• Sixteenth Prize
  Dr. Kari A. Kinnunen
  Geological Survey of Finland
  Espoo, Finland
  Diamond crystal showing photogenic dissolution markings (31.8x)
  Rheinberg Illumination

• Seventeenth Prize
  Alan A. Marchiondo, Ph.D.
  Fermenta Animal Health Company
  Kansas City, Missouri, USA
  Unembryonated eggs of a swine whipworm (Trichuris suis) (40x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Eighteenth Prize
  Marc Van Hove
  Centexbel
  Zwÿnaarde, Belgium
  Detail of textile rotary printing screen (50x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Nineteenth Prize
  Nicholas J. Strausfeld
  University of Arizona
  Tucson, Arizona, USA
  Sex-specific (male) visual neurons in blowfly (100x)
  Brightfield

• Twentieth Prize
  Waclaw Dutkiewicz
  National Veterinary Research Institute
  Pulawy, Poland
  Head section of Taenia solium (90x)
  Brightfield

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.