Home / Science / Ink Drops Frozen Mid-Air Win Photo Prize
Ink Drops Frozen Mid-Air Win Photo Prize
23 Oct
Summary
- Photographer Ole Bielfeldt won Nikon Small World competition.
- Winning image captured inkjet ink droplets on paper.
- Creative technique froze fast-moving ink drops.
Ole Bielfeldt, an experimental photographer from Germany, has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. His winning entry is a microscopic view of an inkjet printer depositing ink onto paper. Bielfeldt's fascination with how things work led him to deconstruct an inkjet printer to capture the fleeting moment of ink droplet formation.
Facing the challenge of the ink drops moving faster than his camera's shutter speed, Bielfeldt devised a clever solution. He used a flash as a shutter in a dark room to freeze the droplets mid-air as the paper moved under a stationary printhead. This ingenuity bypassed the need for expensive equipment, relying instead on traditional techniques.
Nikon Instruments lauded Bielfeldt's image for its blend of microscope imaging, ingenuity, and artistry. The competition, founded in 1974, celebrates the complex beauty revealed through light microscopy. Bielfeldt's work serves as a reminder of the microscope's power as both a scientific and creative tool, expanding our perception of the everyday world.
