Syrian boys play with plastic guns on the first day of the Muslim religious festival of Eid al-Adha in al-Dana in Syria's rebel-controlled Idlib region, near the border with Turkey, on August 11, 2019. Muslims across the world are celebrating the first day of the Feast of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and commemorates prophet Abraham's sacrifice of a lamb after God spared Ishmael, his son. (Photo by Aaref Watad/AFP Photo)

A swan sits on her eggs on nest made of rubbish found in the Danube river in Belgrade, Serbia on Monday, May 10, 2022. (Photo by Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo)

A Palestinian holding a weapon takes cover between buildings amid clashes with Israeli troops during an Israeli raid in Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on June 13, 2023. (Photo by Raneen Sawafta/Reuters)

A Cambodian girl goes through the garbage dump looking for things to recycle in order to survive July 26, 2003 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Rampant corruption in this impoverished country has lead to extreme poverty with many Cambodians living below the poverty line. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Iraqi forces gather during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 21, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

A woman in the Sabean Mandaean community takes part in a ritual during the Prosperity Day celebration in the Tigris River in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, November 1, 2022. (Photo by Hadi Mizban/AP Photo)

This handout photograph taken and released by Limex Images for Red Bull on February 6, 2019 shows France's Nicolas Ivanoff flying over the skyline prior to the first stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Predrag Vuckovic/AFP Photo)

Now celebrating its 40th year, Nikon Small World is widely regarded as the leading forum to recognize proficiency and photographic excellence of photography taken under the microscope. To select the winners, competition judges analyzed entries from all over the world covering subjects ranging from chemical compounds to up-close-and-personal looks at biological specimens. The 2014 winners will be revealed on October 30th. In 2014, the competition received over 1,200 entries from more than 79 countries around the world. (Photo by Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz/Nikon Small World 2014)