It’s not news that our great big world is composed of countless tiny, tiny things. For the last 40 years, Nikon has challenged photographers to get all up in the smallest of subjects, in the hopes of bringing us new ways of seeing them. Their annual Small World competition is meant to promote technical and scientific innovation — as much as pure aesthetic beauty — in the field of light microscopy. The best examples come from professionals and amateurs alike.

“What began as a competition to recognize our customer-base for their achievements has evolved into something that has made us curators of scientific imagery in the field,” says Nikon Instruments’ Communications Manager, Eric Flem.