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Ole Bielfeldt wins Nikon Small World photomicrography competition
Ole Bielfeldt, an experimental photographer and student from Cologne, Germany, has won first prize in the 52nd annual Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. His winning image captures ink droplets suspended in mid-air inside an inkjet printer, revealing the precise mechanics of the printing process at a microscopic level.
To capture the high-speed droplets, which Bielfeldt estimates travel at nearly 20 meters per second, he utilized a custom-built imaging rig. He performed a reverse engineering process on the printer to keep the ink nozzles stationary while moving the paper beneath them, using image stacking and slow-motion techniques to freeze the motion.
Other notable winners include second-place finisher John-Oliver Dum for an image of a jumping spider covered in pollen, and third-place winners Kaelin Wulf and Rachel Flannery for a photograph of neurons within a mouse brain. The competition received 1,803 entries from 69 countries.
In a separate category, the Nikon Small World in Motion video competition faced controversy this year after the winner was disqualified for using generative artificial intelligence in violation of competition rules.
Entities
Cologne · John-Oliver Dum · Kaelin Wulf · Nikon · Ole Bielfeldt · Rachel Flannery
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A winner in the Small World in Motion video competition was disqualified for using generative AI. kioncentralcoast.com · localnews8.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Ole Bielfeldt won first prize at the 52nd Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. kioncentralcoast.com · localnews8.com · www.sciencenews.org
- [● 3 SOURCES] The winning image depicts ink droplets inside an inkjet printer. kioncentralcoast.com · localnews8.com · www.sciencenews.org
- [● 2 SOURCES] Bielfeldt used a custom-built imaging rig to capture the photograph. kioncentralcoast.com · www.sciencenews.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The winners were announced on October 21. www.sciencenews.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The ink droplets traveled at nearly 20 meters per second. www.sciencenews.org
- [● 2 SOURCES] John-Oliver Dum won second place for an image of a jumping spider with pollen. kioncentralcoast.com · www.sciencenews.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Kaelin Wulf and Rachel Flannery won third place for a photo of neurons in a mouse brain. kioncentralcoast.com