Entry time for 2019 Nikon Small World Competitions

[Chris S.]

Now through the end of April is the time when the Nikon Small World competitions accept entries. As many in our forum know, Nikon Small World is like the Superbowl or World Cup for the photography of small things. Notably, every year's list of Nikon Small World honorees contains quite a few of our members.

These competitions are open to photographs or videos made through microscopes. Many of our macro rigs are "home-made microscopes," so works produced with them are eligible. (My own rig, the Bratcam, complies, as confirmed via personal communication with competition officials.) Also, images that have received Administrators Appreciation Awards in our forum have not lost eligibility for entry in Nikon Small World (again, as confirmed with officials).

Speaking personally, an aspect I value of the Nikon Small World competitions is the exposure they bring to the imaging of small things. Many news outlets showcase winners, which can only increase interest among a wide swath of people.

Here is a letter from Eric Clark, inviting participation (slightly edited to fit posting in this forum):

• On behalf of Nikon, I would like to personally invite you to enter Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition and/or the Nikon Small World in Motion Video Competition for the 2019 year.
  
  Entries for both Small World competitions can be uploaded directly to the MicroscopyU servers at the following URL:
  
  https://nikonsmallworld.magnet.fsu.edu/
  
  The deadline is Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 and the first place winner of each competition this year wins $3,000. The rules and complete prize list can be viewed on our new Small World upload portal at the address above.
  
  A reminder that all contestants who enter an image or video will receive a 2020 full color Small World Calendar at the end of the year.
  
  If you have any trouble with your entry or have any questions, please contact me at eclark@magnet.fsu.edu. Small World and Small World in Motion are separate competitions and are judged separately. You can enter and win both competitions.
  
  Regards,
  
  Eric Clark
  National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
  1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr.
  The Florida State University
  Tallahassee, FL 32310
  Phone: 850-644-2970

--Chris S.

[Photomicro]

I used to enter the Nikon Small World and the Olympus Bioscapes comps, back when Michael Davidson was involved. However, I was rather put off the former by the fact that merely entering seems to give them right to use your photographs where and when they want, irrespective of whether they are 'placed'. . I realise the prestige of any plaudits, and the value of the prizes, but this just seems plain wrong to me.

I seem to recall Michael himself was horrified. Perhaps someone could confirm if this is still the case.

[Chris S.]

. . . merely entering seems to give them right to use your photographs where and when they want, irrespective of whether they are 'placed'. . . .
Perhaps someone could confirm if this is still the case.

Perhaps so in the past—I don’t know. But checking the current rules, things currently seem reasonable. The applicable excerpts from the rules would seem to be:

• “If your entry is selected by Nikon as a winning image, (either: top 20, Honorable mention or image of distinction) you give Nikon non-exclusive irrevocable, worldwide rights to use your name, likeness and the winning movie/image in connection with the competition as Nikon sees fit.”
  
  “Winning images will only be used in connection with the Nikon Small World Competition and accompanying publicity and will include appropriate photo credits.”
  
  “Image copyright remains the property of the artist/photographer even though permission to use imagery is given to Nikon.”

Parsing that, Nikon acquires no rights if an image or film does not receive some level of “win.” If an image or video does win recognition, Nikon can use it in connection with the competition, but not in other ways.

I’ll confess that the phrase “as Nikon sees fit” raised my eyebrows when I first read it. But in context, “in connection with the competition as Nikon sees fit,” and given the limitation spelled out in the other paragraph, it seems fine.

Also, so far as I know, Nikon has a history of acting in good faith with images and videos in these competitions. Others with direct experience can confirm or correct me, as appropriate.

A question for those whose images have been recognized in this competition, and subsequently published in major magazines: I presume these magazines have paid you for this use. Is this correct?

--Chris S.

[Photomicro]

Thanks for the clarification, looks like things may have changed, though of course there are many many images classified (honourable etc.).

On your last point, I will be interested to hear from others, but as I understand it, ( and this is one of the interesting things about competitions like this) one reason why newspapers and magazines are so keen to report on such things is that they don't have to pay for the images. This works for them, and the competition organisers of course. One fills space with very little effort or cost, and the other free publicity.

[Olympusman]

Having worked for Olympus (which meant I could not enter either Bioscapes or Small World and am now retired as is Bioscapes), I believe Nikon is acting in good faith and is providing a valuable forum for microscopists worldwide. I was a speaker at the Small World kickoff exhibit in Philadelphia and got to meet Eric Clark.

As for publication and control of images, we all know there is no way to control it.

A few years ago I had an exhibit at a local science center of macrostacked images of insects. As part of the press coverage, I was asked by the local Tribune newspaper to provide some images from the exhibit for an arts section article.

Every one of those images showed up on a Tribune newspaper website in a folder associated with the story. Anybody could have appropriated them.

As an example, a few years ago I did an article in Micscape on bubble photography. I found images from that article posted on websites from Russia to Nepal (with photo credit). But the capper was a cellphone case on Amazon with one of the bubble pictures.

If you don't want your kids grabbed, they can't play in the street.

Mike

[Chris S.]

Posting a reminder that arrived Monday from Eric Clark, the deadline for Nikon Small World is fast approaching. (Slightly edited to fit posting in this forum)

--Chris S.

• On behalf of Nikon, I would like to personally invite you to enter Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition and/or the Nikon Small World in Motion Video Competition for the 2019 year.
  
  Entries for both Small World competitions can be uploaded directly to the MicroscopyU servers at the following URL:
  
  https://nikonsmallworld.magnet.fsu.edu/
  
  The deadline is Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 and the first place winner of each competition this year wins $3,000. The rules and complete prize list can be viewed on our new Small World upload portal at the address above.
  A reminder that all contestants who enter an image or video will receive a 2020 full color Small World Calendar at the end of the year.
  
  If you have any trouble with your entry or have any questions, please contact me at eclark@magnet.fsu.edu. Small World and Small World in Motion are separate competitions and are judged separately. You can enter and win both competitions.
  
  Regards,
  Eric Clark
  National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
  1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr.
  The Florida State University
  Tallahassee, FL 32310
  Phone: 850-644-2970