A 25-year-old German experimental photographer named Ole Bielfeldt has won the 2026 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition with a striking image of ink droplets being deposited on paper by an inkjet printer. He beat out 1,802 other entries from 69 different countries, proving that even the most mundane office equipment can be art if you squint through a microscope.

Bielfeldt's journey into photomicrography began during the COVID-19 lockdown, when he discovered an old microscope in his parents' attic. Rather than doomscroll like the rest of us, he built an adaptor out of a tube and some wood to connect the microscope to his father's camera and taught himself the craft through trial and error, building custom tools as needed. He now documents his process with behind-the-scenes videos posted to macrofying, his photography and videography brand.

His winning entry was inspired by curiosity about the inner workings of inkjet printers. Capturing ink drops as they hit paper was no small feat - the droplets moved faster than the camera's shutter speed. Bielfeldt's solution was elegantly low-tech: he deconstructed the printer so the paper moved under a stationary printhead, then shot the image in a dark room using a flash as the shutter, freezing the ink mid-air. No pricey equipment required. And in a refreshing twist, Bielfeldt does not use AI in his images, preferring traditional techniques - because apparently some people still enjoy doing things the hard way.

"Ole Bielfeldt's winning image embodies what makes Nikon Small World so powerful: the intersection of microscope imaging, ingenuity, and artistry," said Eric Flem, a spokesperson for Nikon Instruments. "By using a microscope objective in a different way, he transformed a familiar object into something altogether new and previously unseen. It is a reminder that the microscope is not only a scientific tool but also a creative one, capable of expanding how we see and imagine the world around us."

Founded in 1974, the Nikon Small World competition celebrates its 52nd anniversary this year. In 2011, Nikon added the Small World in Motion competition, which focuses on photovideography and time-lapse imagery through the microscope. Both contests aim "to showcase the beauty and complexity of things seen through the light microscope." The top 10 winners of this year's competition are available online, along with honorable mentions, and Nikon is producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring the 2026 winners - because nothing says "cutting-edge microscopy" like a paper calendar.