Nature can be viewed with different approaches, more romantic, more scientific, from afar to grasp its full power or from very close up, under a microscope for example.
Thanks to technological tools, it is possible to elucidate some of the mysteries of nature, and thanks to a lens, to see a world of colours and shapes unimaginable to the naked eye. Fascination with nature in its most millimetric aspects is the theme of the annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography competition, now in its 48th year and organised by Nikon, which in recent days has unveiled the best photos of 2021.

The winner was an image of the enlarged hand of a giant gecko from Madagascar, taken by Grigorii Timin at the University of Geneva. In second place was a microscopic photo of breast tissue, while on the lowest step of the podium were the blood vessels in the intestine of an adult mouse.
Looking at all the photos in the competition it is really hard to try and guess which subjects are portrayed, giving nature an even greater sense of mystery and fascination.
Discover all the other finalist photos selected by Nikon on the competition website.