The 1995 contest drew entrants from around the world as well as from a diverse range of academic and professional disciplines. Winners came from such fields as chemistry, electronics, biology, veterinary medicine, pathology, materials research, ecology, and biotechnology. The judges were Robert Hand (University of Buffalo), William R. West (Carolina Biological Supply), Michael W. Davidson (Florida State University), and Martin L. Scott (Scientific Imaging).

• First Prize
  Christian Gautier
  JACANA Press Agency
  Vanves, France
  Larva of Pleuronectidae (20x)
  Rheinberg Illumination and Polarized Light

• Second Prize
  Dr. Keith Yagaloff
  Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc.
  Nutley, New Jersey, USA
  Mineral oil droplet (40x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Third Prize
  James W. Evarts
  Aztec Tool Corporation
  Edgewood, New York, USA
  Crystal formation of hydroquinone sodium sulfite compound (120x)
  Polarized Light

• Fourth Prize
  Gerben Oppermans
  Buxton Micrarium
  Buxton, Derbyshire, England
  Young mussels (17x)
  Polarized Light

• Fifth Prize
  Sondra Barrett
  California Institute of Integral Studies
  San Francisco, California, USA
  Drops of white wine (31x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Sixth Prize
  Lars Bech
  Naarden, The Netherlands
  Nicotinic acid amide melted with lidocaine (50x)
  Polarized Light

• Seventh Prize
  J. Terry Fisk
  Corning, Inc.
  Corning, New York, USA
  Cross-section of colored cord defect in glass product (100x)
  Polarized Light

• Eighth Prize
  Dr. Keith Yagaloff
  Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc.
  Nutley, New Jersey, USA
  Sodium vanadate crystal (40x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Ninth Prize
  Jennifer Kramer & Sam Wells
  Molecular Probes, Inc.
  Eugene, Oregon, USA
  Mouse fibroblasts (150x)
  Fluorescence

• Tenth Prize
  Anna Irzykowska
  Franciszek Raszeja Hospital
  Poznan, Poland
  Areoles on stem of Echinocereus pectinatus (Cactaceae) (3.5x)
  Brightfield

• Eleventh Prize
  Rudolf Rothermel
  Bensheim, Germany
  Arachnoidiscus ehrenbergii diatom (50x)
  Brightfield

• Twelfth Prize
  Ron Sturm
  Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc.
  Skokie, Illinois, USA
  Sodium polytungstate crystals (10x)
  Polarized Light

• Thirteenth Prize
  Alex W. Rakosy
  Micro Image
  Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
  Thrips sp. (Thysanoptera) (50x)
  Polarized Light

• Fourteenth Prize
  Joe de Lellis
  Eastman Kodak, Inc. - San Diego Laboratories
  San Diego, California, USA
  Thin film magnetic recording head at wafer level (40x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Fifteenth Prize
  Jennifer Kramer
  Molecular Probes, Inc.
  Eugene, Oregon, USA
  Mouse fibroblasts (180x)
  Fluorescence (multiple exposures)

• Sixteenth Prize
  Lars Bech
  Naarden, The Netherlands
  Emodin melted with allobarbital (50x)
  Polarized Light

• Seventeenth Prize
  Arthur Strange
  BIOARTS
  Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
  Bubbles from solution of household detergent (12x)
  Rheinberg Illumination

• Eighteenth Prize
  John I. Koivula
  Gemological Institute of America
  Santa Monica, California, USA
  Growth steps on the face of a quartz crystal (40x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Nineteenth Prize
  David A. Smith
  Victoria Point, Queensland, Australia
  Inclusion in blue topaz (18x)
  Phase Contrast

• Twentieth Prize
  Dennis Kunkel
  Pacific Biomedical Research Center
  University of Hawaii
  Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
  Contractile vacuoles and proton pumps in Paramecium multimicronucleatum (80x)
  Fluorescence (Confocal)

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.