The Beauty of What We Can’t See

©Bruno Cisterna and Eric Vitriol

The cells of a mouse’s brain tumor. The electrical arc between a pin and a wire. The minuscule bulbous structures on a cannabis plant leaf. It’s hard to tell, but that’s what’s pictured in the top three winning photos of the 2024 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, which highlights the beauty of images captured under a microscope. The competition recognized 87 photos out of thousands of submissions and was judged by a panel that included experts in photography as well as the medical field. 

©Bruno Cisterna and Eric Vitriol
Bruno Cisterna and Eric Vitriol won first place for an image of brain tumor cells from a mouse.
©Marcel Clemens
Marcel Clemens won second place with an image of an electrical arc between a pin and a wire.
©Chris Romaine
Chris Romaine won third place with an image of the bulbous structures on the leaf of a cannabis plant.