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Nikon's 2021 Photomicrography Competition Winners

170 points by WaitWaitWha 5y ago

carl_dr 5y ago
It’s pretty obvious now I know what it means : Photomicrography, photography of objects under a microscope. Some of these photos are amazing, well worth spending 5 minutes of my day to slow down a bit and scroll through them. (Correction, 15 minutes. Don’t miss the Honorable Mentions and Images of Distinction sections!)
coverband 5y ago
All of them are wonderful shots, but I especially liked the 16th place image: https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrography-competition/neurons-surrounding-the-mouth-and-tentacles-of-a-juvenile-starlet-sea-anemone https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrogra...
zokier 5y ago
Kinda surprised to see a fairly boring snowflake picture at 14th place. Sure, it looks technically well executed and the black background makes for a clean picture, but still it looks pretty unremarkable to me.
- omoikane 5y ago
  Perhaps you were looking for something like this? https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/science/snowflakes-photos-nathan-myhrvold.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/science/snowflakes-photos... https://archive.is/OeBIb https://archive.is/OeBIb
  - sytelus 5y ago
    Thanks for archive link! I would have not expected Nathan Myhrvold popping up here. This well illustrates how hard this photgraphy is.
- mkr-hn 5y ago
  You try focus stacking at 4:1. I could barely get things in focus at 1:1. People who judge photography contests look for different things from most people. Here's a good video on what judges look for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcxcGBbLIwk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcxcGBbLIwk
  - WaitWaitWha 5y ago
    don't forget how fast this also has to be done, since the crystals will change if the temperature, humidity, or pressure changes.
edge17 5y ago
Are these photos artificially colored or are these natural colors? (meaning, I guess everything is larger than the resolution of visible light) I've always wondered how these photos get taken. Do people also do videos?
- ghaff 5y ago
  I'm guessing some combination of staining to accentuate detail/structure in the thing being photographed, manipulation of contrast/saturation/etc., and maybe some outright false color.
antattack 5y ago
Photomicrography - the world where phone camera has not yet conquered :) I like 15th place photo, btw.
- overcast 5y ago
  I'm sure that's next :) iPhone 13 just got Macro.
- aidenn0 5y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28542822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28542822
m_kos 5y ago
I just wanted to share that you can take a shot at photomicrography even on a very tight budget. Here are three pictures I took with my Pixel 2 and a $20 microscope from Amazon. https://imgbox.com/g/WQt0DyEtmV https://imgbox.com/g/WQt0DyEtmV (fly's wings, salt cubes, a mashed raspberry) I am no photographer, so I am sure people who know more about it than me can take much better pictures. (And I'd love to see them!)
- lmilcin 5y ago
  You can get very good results without any specialized equipment. There are tricks by using reversed lenses. https://digital-photography-school.com/reverse-lens-macro-photography/ https://digital-photography-school.com/reverse-lens-macro-ph...
s0rce 5y ago
I love this competition. I got an honorable mention in grad school https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2009-photomicrography-competition/chaetopleura-apiculata-chiton-radula https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2009-photomicrogra...
- jason2323 5y ago
  Belated Congratulations!
oblak 5y ago
Oh boy. Is it me or do these get better each? I've been planning to print a lot of those for our home. Not sure I am going to have enough wall surface area.
- philips 5y ago
  Is there a place to get high resolution versions for print?
  - oblak 5y ago
    I don't have particularly big prints in mind. I thought if they look good enough for 24/27 inch 1080/1440 monitor, they ought to suffice for a print of similar size. Not a big expert, me
    - memling 5y ago
      check the dpi of your monitor. you'll want to consider that the pixel density of your monitor is not the same as a print. I printed six megapixel images at 8x10 inches and you could probably in with lower res at that size. I would be surprised to find that a 16x20 would work though.
sveme 5y ago
Out of curiousity: Do they only accept images taken using Nikon microscopes, or do they also accept other microscope makers (Zeiss, Leica, Olympus)?
- teraflop 5y ago
  > Images do not need to be taken with a Nikon-branded microscope. https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photomicrography-competition/rules https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photomicrography-c...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- s0rce 5y ago
  Anything, I got an honorable mention using a Leica scope. Homemade would be fine as well.
qwertox 5y ago
The second place photo [1] is absolutely amazing. It looks like galaxies in the universe, and the clear separation between the two populations bridged by axons show the incredible level of control humanity has gained over our world. We're not there yet, but this photo shows us how extremely well we're doing. [2] https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrography-competition/microfluidic-device-containing-300k-networking-neurons-in-2-isolated-populations https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrogra...
- bryan0 5y ago
  > A microfluidic device containing 300k networking neurons in 2 isolated populations. Both sides were treated with a unique virus and bridged by axons. Any idea why they created such a device?
  - twobitshifter 5y ago
    Not sure if this is the exact study but it’s probably what is going on. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2426917/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2426917/
  - dandelany 5y ago
    Probably studying axonal transport, the ability of some neuroinvasive viruses to spread from one neuron to the next via the axon & its connection to other cells.
mwambua 5y ago
If you're into this sort of stuff, there's a relatively new Youtube Channel where the creator puts an interesting subject under an electron microscope and talks about it. I find his videography & micrography aesthetically pleasing, and even relaxing. https://www.youtube.com/c/Micrographia https://www.youtube.com/c/Micrographia
- qwertox 5y ago
  A very similar channel but focused on biology is "Journey to the Microcosmos". It's just as interesting and relaxing. https://www.youtube.com/c/microcosmos/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/microcosmos/videos
  - spiraling_shape 5y ago
    Not sure how much of a coincidence this is, but that series was co-created by Hank Green, who also happens to be one the judges from this competition.
  - scns 5y ago
    Thank you. Always grateful for stuff thats expands my horizon.
- Yenrabbit 5y ago
  Thanks for recommending this - great channel!
mensetmanusman 5y ago
Nature is amazing because it seems to have an infinite complexity of detail. It seems like most of our waking hours is our brain trying to abstract away all of the detail because there is way too much.

170 points by WaitWaitWha 5y ago

It’s pretty obvious now I know what it means : Photomicrography, photography of objects under a microscope. Some of these photos are amazing, well worth spending 5 minutes of my day to slow down a bit and scroll through them. (Correction, 15 minutes. Don’t miss the Honorable Mentions and Images of Distinction sections!)

coverband 5y ago

All of them are wonderful shots, but I especially liked the 16th place image: https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrography-competition/neurons-surrounding-the-mouth-and-tentacles-of-a-juvenile-starlet-sea-anemone https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrogra...

zokier 5y ago

Kinda surprised to see a fairly boring snowflake picture at 14th place. Sure, it looks technically well executed and the black background makes for a clean picture, but still it looks pretty unremarkable to me.

omoikane 5y ago
Perhaps you were looking for something like this? https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/science/snowflakes-photos-nathan-myhrvold.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/science/snowflakes-photos... https://archive.is/OeBIb https://archive.is/OeBIb
- sytelus 5y ago
  Thanks for archive link! I would have not expected Nathan Myhrvold popping up here. This well illustrates how hard this photgraphy is.
mkr-hn 5y ago
You try focus stacking at 4:1. I could barely get things in focus at 1:1. People who judge photography contests look for different things from most people. Here's a good video on what judges look for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcxcGBbLIwk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcxcGBbLIwk
- WaitWaitWha 5y ago
  don't forget how fast this also has to be done, since the crystals will change if the temperature, humidity, or pressure changes.

edge17 5y ago

Are these photos artificially colored or are these natural colors? (meaning, I guess everything is larger than the resolution of visible light) I've always wondered how these photos get taken. Do people also do videos?

ghaff 5y ago
I'm guessing some combination of staining to accentuate detail/structure in the thing being photographed, manipulation of contrast/saturation/etc., and maybe some outright false color.

antattack 5y ago

Photomicrography - the world where phone camera has not yet conquered :) I like 15th place photo, btw.

overcast 5y ago
I'm sure that's next :) iPhone 13 just got Macro.
aidenn0 5y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28542822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28542822

m_kos 5y ago

I just wanted to share that you can take a shot at photomicrography even on a very tight budget. Here are three pictures I took with my Pixel 2 and a $20 microscope from Amazon. https://imgbox.com/g/WQt0DyEtmV https://imgbox.com/g/WQt0DyEtmV (fly's wings, salt cubes, a mashed raspberry) I am no photographer, so I am sure people who know more about it than me can take much better pictures. (And I'd love to see them!)

lmilcin 5y ago
You can get very good results without any specialized equipment. There are tricks by using reversed lenses. https://digital-photography-school.com/reverse-lens-macro-photography/ https://digital-photography-school.com/reverse-lens-macro-ph...

s0rce 5y ago

I love this competition. I got an honorable mention in grad school https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2009-photomicrography-competition/chaetopleura-apiculata-chiton-radula https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2009-photomicrogra...

jason2323 5y ago
Belated Congratulations!

oblak 5y ago

Oh boy. Is it me or do these get better each? I've been planning to print a lot of those for our home. Not sure I am going to have enough wall surface area.

philips 5y ago
Is there a place to get high resolution versions for print?
- oblak 5y ago
  I don't have particularly big prints in mind. I thought if they look good enough for 24/27 inch 1080/1440 monitor, they ought to suffice for a print of similar size. Not a big expert, me
  - memling 5y ago
    check the dpi of your monitor. you'll want to consider that the pixel density of your monitor is not the same as a print. I printed six megapixel images at 8x10 inches and you could probably in with lower res at that size. I would be surprised to find that a 16x20 would work though.

sveme 5y ago

Out of curiousity: Do they only accept images taken using Nikon microscopes, or do they also accept other microscope makers (Zeiss, Leica, Olympus)?

teraflop 5y ago
> Images do not need to be taken with a Nikon-branded microscope. https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photomicrography-competition/rules https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photomicrography-c...
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
s0rce 5y ago
Anything, I got an honorable mention using a Leica scope. Homemade would be fine as well.

qwertox 5y ago

The second place photo [1] is absolutely amazing. It looks like galaxies in the universe, and the clear separation between the two populations bridged by axons show the incredible level of control humanity has gained over our world. We're not there yet, but this photo shows us how extremely well we're doing. [2] https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrography-competition/microfluidic-device-containing-300k-networking-neurons-in-2-isolated-populations https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/2021-photomicrogra...

bryan0 5y ago
> A microfluidic device containing 300k networking neurons in 2 isolated populations. Both sides were treated with a unique virus and bridged by axons. Any idea why they created such a device?
- twobitshifter 5y ago
  Not sure if this is the exact study but it’s probably what is going on. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2426917/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2426917/
- dandelany 5y ago
  Probably studying axonal transport, the ability of some neuroinvasive viruses to spread from one neuron to the next via the axon & its connection to other cells.

mwambua 5y ago

If you're into this sort of stuff, there's a relatively new Youtube Channel where the creator puts an interesting subject under an electron microscope and talks about it. I find his videography & micrography aesthetically pleasing, and even relaxing. https://www.youtube.com/c/Micrographia https://www.youtube.com/c/Micrographia

qwertox 5y ago
A very similar channel but focused on biology is "Journey to the Microcosmos". It's just as interesting and relaxing. https://www.youtube.com/c/microcosmos/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/microcosmos/videos
- spiraling_shape 5y ago
  Not sure how much of a coincidence this is, but that series was co-created by Hank Green, who also happens to be one the judges from this competition.
- scns 5y ago
  Thank you. Always grateful for stuff thats expands my horizon.
Yenrabbit 5y ago
Thanks for recommending this - great channel!

mensetmanusman 5y ago

Nature is amazing because it seems to have an infinite complexity of detail. It seems like most of our waking hours is our brain trying to abstract away all of the detail because there is way too much.