The Hidden Geometry of the Microscopic World
A drop of water can hold a constellation of spheres; a plant can grow a forest too small to see. These ten photographs from the 2025 Nikon Small World competition reveal the patterns beneath familiar surfaces, with each specimen and imaging technique kept in view.
A Rice Weevil on Its Tiny Pedestal
A single grain of rice becomes a stage for Sitophilus oryzae, its curved surface setting the scale for the insect above it. The weevil’s arched legs, extended snout and antennae transform an easily overlooked creature into a sharply articulated silhouette. It is a small encounter with the precision of a studio portrait, although the subject belongs to a world usually hidden in plain sight. Zhang You’s first-place image in the 2025 competition uses image stacking with a 5X objective lens.
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