Most people know Nikon as a purveyor of pro and consumer-grade digital cameras. But the company's expertise with optics bleeds over into related markets – it's one of the science community's major suppliers of microscopes. And each year the company asks the community to send it some of their favorite images of tiny objects. A panel of scientists and journalists have chosen the best of this past year's submissions, which Nikon has placed on its Small World site.

Photo: Honorable Mention. “Snow crystal, illuminated with colored lights (5x)”. (Photo by Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Department of Physics, Pasadena, California, USA)

A Flemish demonstrator, one of thousands who gathered for a march through Brussels to protest against what the Flemings call their subjucation by the French-speaking Walloons, draws back as he is jeered by a crowd of Walloons on the pavement in a Brussels Street, on October 14, 1962. The Flemish demonstrators clashed with Walloon counter demonstrators as riot police sought to maintain order. The Flemings claim that although they form 60% of the population in Belgium, they are inadequately represented in the government, and they say, the Walloons get most of the top jobs in the armed forces and the diplomatic service. (Photo by AP Photo)

Seljalandsfoss waterfall, located in Iceland. Seljalandsfoss is one of the most famous waterfalls of Iceland. This waterfall of the river Seljalandsá drops 60 metres (200 ft) over the cliffs of the former coastline. It's possible to go behind the waterfall. (Photo by HotSpot Media)

Sally Gomez drives to rescue of friend Michele Moore in flooded parking lot at Hyannis, Mass., September 9, 1969, after torrential rains of Hurricane Gerda flooded low areas of Cape Cod. Ann Davis of Osterville stands up in roof opening to lend a hand. Sally and Michele are from Centerville on the Cape. (Photo by Frank C. Curtin/AP Photo)

The “Yama” (Pit) memorial is seen in the centre of Minsk May 5, 2015. The memorial is dedicated of the destruction of the Minsk ghetto during World War Two, when several hundred thousands of Jews were slaughtered. Belarus will mark Victory Day on May 9, the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

People look at a man, who residents said was killed by al Qaeda militants, hanging on a bridge in Yemen's southeastern city of Mukalla June 17, 2015. Al Qaeda militants in Yemen killed two alleged Saudi spies, residents said, accusing them of planting tracking devices which enabled the assassination of the group's leader in a suspected U.S. drone strike. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

African women in their grandmothers' clothes: Joana Choumali’s portraits show modern African women swapping jeans for kente cloth – and diving into the dazzling cultural heritage of their families. (Photo by Joana Choumali/The Guardian)

NEPAL: A devotee is smeared with a vermillion powder while celebrating the “Sindoor Jatra” vermillion powder festival at Thimi, in Bhaktapur, Nepal, April 14, 2016. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)