Nikon Small World reveals microscopic wonders
Dec. 8—Visitors can surround themselves with the complexity of the world's microscopic wonders, as the top 20 photos from the 48th annual Nikon Small World photomicrography competition are on display now through Feb. 15 at the Indiana State Museum, 650 W Washington St., Indianapolis.
Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing life as seen through the light microscope. The winning photos, which hang in the third-floor Thomas A. King Bridge Gallery, are as notable for their vivid colors as they are for their unusual subject matter.
First place was awarded to Grigorii Timin, supervised by Dr. Michel Milinkovitch at the University of Geneva, for his remarkable image of an embryonic hand of a Madagascar giant day gecko. A visually stunning and painstaking technique, Timin used high-resolution microscopy and image-stitching to merge hundreds of images together to create the final photo.
Among the other winning images, visitors can see everything from unique scientific specimens, like neurons derived from human neural stem cells and the blood vessel networks in a mouse, to everyday household subjects, like a daddy long-legs spider and the wick of a candle — all magnified to reveal their intricacies in a dazzling array of colors.
The Nikon Small World competition began in 1975 as a means to recognize and applaud the efforts of those involved with photomicrography. Open to amateur and professional photographers alike, this year's competition received nearly 1,300 entries from 72 countries.
Nikon Small World is free for Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites members and included with regular admission. Attendees can go to the website at IndianaMuseum.org to plan their visit and purchase admission.
