German Photographer Wins 2026 Nikon Small World With Inkjet Ink Image

Bielfeldt became interested in photomicrography during the COVID-19 lockdown after finding an old microscope in his parents' attic. He built an adaptor from a tube and some wood to connect the microscope to his father's camera, taught himself through trial and error and made custom tools when needed. He posts behind-the-scenes videos showing how he captures images of everyday objects on macrofying, his photography and videography brand.

The winning image grew out of his curiosity about how inkjet printers work. Capturing ink drops as they landed on paper was difficult because the process happens so quickly; the droplets moved faster than the camera's shutter speed. Bielfeldt took the printer apart so that the paper moved under a stationary printhead rather than beneath a moving one. He then made the image in a dark room, using a flash as the shutter to freeze the ink drops in midair.

According to Ars Technica, the setup did not require expensive equipment. Bielfeldt does not use AI in his images and prefers traditional techniques.