The Nikon Small World Photography Competition is an annual celebration of all things teeny-weeny tiny, and gets us science photography fans very excited. Open to entries from professionals and amateurs alike, the subject matter is diverse and always a visual treat.
This year's crop of winners from the competitionhave just been announced, and there are some truly stunning images from a wide-range of visual disciplines. Here are some of the images that stood out for us.
Take a look at some of our other picture stories:
1
See-through Zebrafish - Overall Winner
![1-max ip osx mrc 26 dpf nsmweb Dorsal view of bones and scales (blue) and lymphatic vessels (orange) in a juvenile zebrafish Confocal 4X (Objective Lens Magnification](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/1-max-ip-osx-mrc-26-dpf-nsmweb-c1dcd5f.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
See more amazing photography:
- Gotta scan 'em all: 9 other-worldly CT scans of fish
- The see-through frog and 6 other transparent animals that are stranger than fiction
2
Send In The Clowns - Second Place Overall
![2-Amphiprion1_Daniel-Knop_Web Embryonic development of a clownfish (Amphiprion percula) on days 1, 3 (morning and evening), 5, and 9 Image Stacking 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/2-Amphiprion1_Daniel-Knop_Web-1859d5a.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
3
Salty Snail Tongue - Third Place Overall
![3-radula1 Tongue (radula) of a freshwater snail Confocal 40X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/3-radula1-b82b685.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
4
Chameleon Embryo - Top 20 Images
![8-Chameleon_Allan2web Chameleon embryo (autofluorescence) Fluorescence 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/8-Chameleon_Allan2web-139863b.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
5
Crystal Vision - Top 20 Images
![13-L_Glutamine_and_Beta_Alanine Crystals formed after heating an ethanol and water solution containing L-glutamine and beta-alanine Polarized Light 4X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/13-L_Glutamine_and_Beta_Alanine-099fa0c.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
6
Human Hair - Top 20 Images
![Human hair Image Stacking 20X (Objective Lens Magnification) Human hair Image Stacking 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/12-Hair-9fabec2.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
7
Roller Weevil - Top 20 Images
![Leaf roller weevil (Byctiscus betulae) lateral view Leaf roller weevil (Byctiscus betulae) lateral view. Reflected Light 3.7X (Objective Lens Magnification).](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/14-leaf_roller_weevil-f224849.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
8
Tight tights - Top 20 Images
![Nylon stockings Polarized Light 9X (Objective Lens Magnification) Nylon stockings Polarized Light 9X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/16-Neylon-c4ee943.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
9
Moth To A Microscope - Top 20 Images
![Atlas moth wing Image Stacking 10x (Objective Lens Magnification) Atlas moth wing Image Stacking 10x (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/18-Butterfly-Wings-320-8c7f13e.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
10
Plain Batty - Top 20 Images
![20-Bat_highres Skeleton preparation of a short-tailed fruit bat embryo (Carollia perspicillata) Brightfield 1X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/20-Bat_highres-c54dde3.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
11
Phantom of the Larva - Honourable Mention
![Phantom midge larva Phantom midge larva Darkfield, Image Stacking, Polarized Light 4X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/Phantom-midge-larva-92b256e.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
12
LCD Phone Screen - Honourable Mention
![20161016_010259_20x Liquid crystals in a mobile LCD screen Brightfield 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/20161016_010259_20x-46c1b6e.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
13
Shiver Me Timber Beetle - Honourable Mention
![Ship Timber Beetle Ship-timber beetle (Lymexylidae) Image Stacking. 5X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/Ship-Timber-Beetle-580c389.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
14
Vinyl countdown - Images of Distinction
![Old vinyl recordDifferential Interference Contrast (DIC) Old vinyl record Differential Interference Contrast (DIC)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/Old-vinyl-090f187.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
15
Horse Fly -Images of Distinction
![Horse-fly Horse-fly (Tabanidae) Image Stacking, Reflected Light 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/Horse-fly-a407337.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
16
Into the Sunset - Images of Distinction
![madagascan-sunset-scales Scales of a Madagascan sunset butterfly wing. Image Stacking 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/madagascan-sunset-scales-c135676.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
17
A Budding Photographer-Images of Distinction
![Krebs_2_NSW20 Interior of an unopened Camellia flower bud showing immature anther and filament. Reflected Light, Image Stacking 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/Krebs_2_NSW20-1ab33d7.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
18
Heads Up - Images of Distinction
![Tapeworm_Scolex Head of a tapeworm (Taenia pisiformis) Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/Tapeworm_Scolex-fd482c9.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
19
Moth to a Flame - Images of Distinction
![Moth (Ctenucha brunnea) Image Stacking 5X (Objective Lens Magnification) Moth (Ctenucha brunnea) Image Stacking 5X (Objective Lens Magnification)](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2020/10/2019-07-06-16.58.20-ZS-retouched-2-3-2-Edit-abb90a3.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)