German Photographer Wins Nikon Small World Contest with Inkjet Droplet Image

Competition Winner Announced

Ole Bielfeldt, a 25-year-old experimental photographer from Germany, secured the top prize in the 2026 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. His winning entry depicted ink droplets being deposited onto paper by an inkjet printer. Bielfeldt's image was selected from 1,802 submissions from 69 countries.

Background and Inspiration

Bielfeldt developed an interest in photomicrography during the COVID-19 lockdown, utilizing an old microscope found in his parents' attic. He created a custom adapter to connect the microscope to his father's camera and self-taught the craft, building necessary tools. His brand, macrofying, features behind-the-scenes videos of his photographic process.

His winning image was inspired by curiosity about the internal mechanics of inkjet printers.

Technical Challenges and Solutions

Capturing the rapid action of ink droplets proved challenging due to their speed, which exceeded camera shutter speeds. Bielfeldt addressed this by deconstructing the printer to allow the paper to move under a stationary printhead. He then photographed the scene in a dark room, using a flash as a shutter to freeze the ink drops mid-air. This method did not require expensive equipment, and Bielfeldt explicitly avoided using AI in his images, relying on traditional techniques.