The 15th annual Nikon Small World in Motion winners showcase the world’s best and most dynamic microscopic videography. The first-place video shows the self-pollination of a thymeleaf speedwell, while another prize-winning video captures actin and mitochondria in mouse brain tumor cells, demonstrating the diversity of the microscopy on display this year.
The Nikon Small World in Motion competition launched in 2011 as a sibling to the Nikon Small World photography contest. Nikon wanted to give microscopic videography a chance to shine following significant technological advances in macro movie recording and digital timelapse photography. This year’s edition received 325 videos from artists and scientists in 34 different countries.
This year’s first-place winner, Jay McClellan of Michigan, USA, is a retired engineer-turned-microscopist. His video documents the self-pollination of thymeleaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia), a special strategy that certain plant species use to adapt and survive in harsh environments.
McClellan’s prize-winning video combines his career in industrial machine vision with his passion for photography and microscopy. The winning video shows a tiny blue blossom opening to embrace the morning sunlight, its stamens extending and then curling to dust its pistil with pollen, thus completing a self-pollination cycle in only a short period.
“This isn’t some exotic plant you’d need to travel the world to find. It’s a common ‘weed’ that might be growing right under your feet,” McClellan explains. “I love the idea that anyone could discover beauty like this if they just looked closely.”
However, while the plant may not be rare, that doesn’t mean capturing the self-pollination is easy. The plant blooms unpredictably, making filming this process challenging. It required preparation, timing, and technique.
McClellan had to accurately predict how the plant would move during self-pollination and programmed a custom motion-control system to facilitate this task. He also utilized focus-stacking techniques for his timelapse, which also required a custom-built solution.
“I may capture many terabytes of raw footage for a single shot. Running the focus-stacking overnight is like waiting for Christmas morning — you never know whether you’ll get a disappointment or something amazing,” McClellan says.
“The best part for me is not winning a prize but getting the opportunity to share my work with the world and let people see microscopic wonders in a new way,” he adds.
The Rest of the 2025 Nikon Small World in Motion Winners
Alongside McClellan’s first-place finish, the competition’s judges also selected a series of top-five winners, all of which are featured below, plus nearly 20 honorable mentions.
“As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Small World in Motion competition, this year’s winners showcase the extraordinary choreography of life unfolding at a scale beyond ordinary sight,” explains Eric Flem, Senior Manager, Communications and CRM at Nikon Instruments. “Jay McClellan and all our other winners’ videos reflect the competition’s enduring purpose to inspire wonder, fuel discovery, and showcase the artistry inherent in scientific exploration.”
Selected honorable mentions are featured below.
The complete gallery of all honored videos is available on the Nikon Small World website and the Nikon Microscope Solutions YouTube channel.