Nikon Small World Competition Gives Germs Their Close-Up

It's hard to imagine the afflictions we face being described as "beautiful." But as entries to Nikon's Small World competition demonstrate, they're ready for their close up. The annual photography competition calls for entries from photomicrographers, a particular subtype of photographer who makes images at extreme magnifications, finding art in the most basic elements of the material around us: single cells, a waterflea in profile, a soy sauce crystal.

Some of that photography showcases the beauty of pathogens, diseased cells and other elements of our varied illnesses; an electric yellow squiggle is a parasitic worm, a glowing green orb, dotted with red is actually a breast cancer cell.

The images below come from the 2010 and 2011 Nikon Small World competitions. Calls for entry to the 2012 competition opened last week and close again on April 30.

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Comments

[lensamy]

11:24 AM on 04/03/2012

Nature is amazing! creating beauty in the craziest places.

[divinemary]

05:22 AM on 04/03/2012

I'm curious to know the color or Racism?

[mcartri]

02:25 AM on 04/03/2012

Fire works over Salt Lake City the night gay marriage was banned anywhere.

[Someone Said]

02:14 AM on 04/03/2012

These are incredible. Nice to know what to avoid from now on.

[tonybfine]

12:56 AM on 04/03/2012

That HeLa cancer is doing a can-can dance. Hard to believe that is only 100X magnification. Perhaps a typo?

[mesaboy]

11:35 PM on 04/02/2012

Royal Raymond Rife did a much better job of this many, many years ago. Check him out on Bing or Google. The AMA and FDA made sure his invention wouldn't help mankind.

[OverseasVet]

04:03 AM on 04/03/2012

The only thing that comes up after a search of Royal Raymond Rife is medical fraud and conspiracy theories. Its good for a chuckle though so thanks.

[divinemary]

05:21 AM on 04/03/2012

I don't think he was a fraud. There are people who believe in his work and equipment.

[Newthron]

10:57 PM on 04/02/2012

I love my germs.

[tcz74]

10:38 PM on 04/02/2012

mainly cancer cells.
beautiful, not so much

[Rubyfoo]

09:23 PM on 04/02/2012

Fascinating, but most of the photos contained human cells, not "germs."

[Newthron]

10:58 PM on 04/02/2012

Of course they feed on us.

[Rubyfoo]

09:54 AM on 04/03/2012

Feed on us? They'r'us.

[PunKinPai]

08:33 PM on 04/02/2012

It's where Mitch McConnell and the entire right wing put him on January 19, 2009.

[Newthron]

10:59 PM on 04/02/2012

Making sure that if you mess up he will go nanometric on you without you knowing what is striking you.

[pensiondad]

12:03 AM on 04/03/2012

Funny

[p456]

07:57 PM on 04/02/2012

What are those germs doing in a miniature photo competition I thought they were running on the GOP ticket for president? By the way if they are all posing for photos who or what is out campaigning in their place?

[llyd wlsh]

07:48 PM on 04/02/2012

are thesethe actual colors of these germs, parasites and cells??

are they stained to show better??

are filters used to show differences??

whatever method used these are amazing photos

science is cool

[czs5056]

08:22 PM on 04/02/2012

yes, the colors are from filters, and a bit of Photoshop. the true image is most likely black and white and they Photoshop color onto it

[llyd wlsh]

08:27 PM on 04/02/2012

thanks

[diogenes tub]

11:01 PM on 04/02/2012

I had wondered the same thing. Thanks!

[Edmundo Daniel Salazar]

07:30 PM on 04/02/2012

The pictures are very cool to look at. But is sadly, I am guessing AOL staff do not understand that there is a big difference between germ, parasitic and animal cells.

[czs5056]

08:23 PM on 04/02/2012

the AOL staff majored in journalism in college, not any of the sciences

[NYnotLiberal]

09:19 PM on 04/02/2012

I think it's questionable that any of them majored in journalism.

[OverseasVet]

04:22 AM on 04/03/2012

Few people seem to understand the difference between journalists and scientists. All that matters is that it is in print.

[drmdj]

07:16 PM on 04/02/2012

Looked like a Grateful Dead light show.

[llyd wlsh]

07:49 PM on 04/02/2012

was that a light show?? i thought it was just good drugs....R I P Jerry

[leorangerie]

07:02 PM on 04/02/2012

So beautiful yet so deadly. Like Kim Kardashian.

[llyd wlsh]

07:53 PM on 04/02/2012

she is a parasite

[roscoewpa]

10:17 PM on 04/02/2012

lol thanks for claifing she's not a catchy germ