GoKawiilGerman photographer Ole Bielfeldt wins 2026 Nikon Small World contest with inkjet ink-droplet image
Ole Bielfeldt, a 25-year-old German photographer, won the 2026 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition, beating 1,802 entries from 69 countries. His winning image captured ink droplets suspended mid-air as an inkjet printer deposited them onto paper, achieved by disassembling the printer and using a flash in a dark room to freeze the fast-moving droplets. Bielfeldt, self-taught since discovering an old microscope during COVID-19 lockdown, says he does not use AI and relies on traditional techniques and custom-built tools.
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The win highlights how accessible, low-cost ingenuity can still produce award-winning scientific imagery, countering any assumption that cutting-edge equipment or AI tools are necessary for striking visual science communication. Nikon's spokesperson Eric Flem framed the image as evidence that microscopes remain creative instruments, not just scientific ones, which could encourage more amateur experimentation in photomicrography. Bielfeldt's explicit rejection of AI may also resonate amid broader debates about authenticity in contest-winning imagery.
- Ole Bielfeldt, 25, won Nikon Small World 2026 with an image of ink droplets frozen mid-flight from an inkjet printer.
- He achieved the shot by disassembling the printer and using a flash as a shutter in a dark room, without expensive equipment.
- Self-taught during COVID-19 lockdown, Bielfeldt avoids AI, favoring traditional photomicrography techniques.
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See AmScope M150C Compound Microscope on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: slashdot.org, 2026-10-29
Published there as: “Ink Droplets In Motion Snag Top Prize In Nikon Small World Contest”
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