Printer-ink image wins Nikon Small World 2026 photomicrography contest

Ole Bielfeldt is the winner of the 2026 Nikon Small World competition, an international contest for photographs taken through a microscope. His winning image is a microscopic view of an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper. The result was announced by Nikon Instruments, the company's microscope business.

Why the image stood out

Eric Flem, a spokesperson for Nikon Instruments, said the image shows what makes the contest powerful: the meeting of microscope imaging, ingenuity and artistry. According to Flem, Bielfeldt used a microscope objective in an unconventional way, turning a familiar object into something new and previously unseen. He stressed that the microscope is not only a scientific tool but also a creative one.

About the competition

Nikon Small World was founded in 1974 and celebrates its 52nd anniversary this year. In 2011, the company added a companion contest, Small World in Motion, devoted to video and time-lapse work made through the microscope, which relies on technological advances that now make this possible. Both competitions aim to showcase the beauty and complexity of things seen through the light microscope, one through still photographs and the other through video.

This year's top 10 winners have been published, and the full list, including honorable mentions, is available on the contest website. Nikon is also producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring the 2026 winners.