When a camera is used for scientific purposes, the photographer is faced with conflicting goals. As art, the image should evoke emotion. As science, it must impart valuable information. The best microphotography examples blend both.

Photography As Art

Microphotography, also known as photomicroscopy, reveals a world of bizarre and beautiful images, often unexpected when we look at the larger subject. Balls so colorful and perfectly shaped they seem like computer-generated images are really just the play of light on the surface of a soap bubble. What appears to be a complex mosaic of sandstone and white marble is the epidermis of a seaweed specimen.

We may expect microscopic objects to be rough and simple, as though fine details disappear at the limit of our weak, human eyes. Photomicroscopy shows us that no matter how much we increase the magnification, we can always find delicate and intricate patterns. We zoom in and realize the macro and micro worlds are very much alike, like magnifying a grain of sand to find it looks like the side of a mountain.

Photography As Science

Microphotography is frequently used to document the invisible world too small for us to see. These images must emphasize detail and accurate representation over aesthetic principles. Light is there to illuminate, not to enhance or distort. Focus must be sharp as every detail missed is information lost.

Accurate images on this scale require effort. The depth of field shrinks dramatically, even using macro imaging, and it is difficult to get a sharp image. A shadow too small to be visible to our eye obscures a huge amount of the target. Optics distort and color seems to misbehave as we approach scales on the order of the width of a light wave. It is difficult to represent the scale of what we are seeing.

Blending Both Techniques

Photography is art, and microphotography is no exception. No matter the purpose of the photograph, there is always an element of art in it and that enhances the final product.

Consider the winner of the 36th annual Nikon Small World competition. Without a point of reference, you see an image of fluorescent green fibers woven into tight, triangular clusters. They are like great pyramids of slender thread, displayed against a starlit sky. By itself, it is art.

What you actually have is an image of a mosquito's heart muscle. The information in this image helps scientists understand how these insects transport nutrients and other chemicals through their bodies. It adds to the understanding of how mosquitoes harbor malaria, and is one more step toward finding a way to control and stop the scourge of this disease.

And yet, it's also a beautiful and breathtaking image. Microphotography is where art and science meet, and each enhances the other.