[CLSTR]
API
< Back to situations

Monitor this situation.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [CULTURE]

2 clusters · 9 sources · 8 days · First seen · Last updated

Nikon Small World photomicrography competition

Overview

Ole Bielfeldt, a student and experimental photographer from Cologne, Germany, won first prize in the 52nd annual Nikon Small World competition. His winning image depicts ink droplets suspended in mid-air during the inkjet printing process.

To capture the droplets, which travel at nearly 20 meters per second, Bielfeldt used a custom-built imaging rig and a reverse engineering process to keep the printer nozzles stationary while moving the paper. He utilized a dark room and a flash to act as a shutter to freeze the high-speed motion. Bielfeldt, who taught himself the craft during the COVID-19 lockdown, confirmed he did not use AI in his work.

The competition included 1,803 entries from 69 countries. Other winners included second-place finisher John-Oliver Dum for an image of a jumping spider and third-place winners Kaelin Wulf and Rachel Flannery for a photograph of mouse brain neurons. In the separate Nikon Small World in Motion video category, the winner was disqualified for using generative artificial intelligence in violation of the rules.

Entities

Ole Bielfeldt · Nikon · Cologne · John-Oliver Dum · Rachel Flannery

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 2 sources
    Ole Bielfeldt wins Nikon Small World microscopic photography contest

    German photographer Ole Bielfeldt won the 2026 Nikon Small World contest with a microscopic image of ink droplets being deposited by an inkjet printer.

  2. [CULTURE] 7 sources
    Ole Bielfeldt wins Nikon Small World photomicrography competition

    German student Ole Bielfeldt won the 52nd Nikon Small World photomicrography competition with a microscopic image of ink droplets inside a printer.

Sources

121clicks.com · cnn.co.jp · geekweek.interia.pl · hardware.slashdot.org · kion546.com · localnews8.com · mixvale.com.br · nautil.us · sciencenews.org