NEWS RELEASE 29th September 2005 Spicing up Science SPL photographer David McCarthy's image of a salt grain and a peppercorn was named overall winner in the 2005 Novartis and The Daily Telegraph Visions of Science Photographic Awards. This coloured scanning electron micrograph also picked up 1st prize in the Close up category. An experienced electron microscopist, David runs a world-renowned unit at The School of Pharmacy, University of London. Above: Salt grain and peppercorn, SEM. DAVID MCCARTHY Steve Gschmeissner, another SPL photographer and one of the most prolific and widely published scanning electron microscopists in the UK and winner of many previous Visions of Science Photographic Awards, claimed 2nd prize in the Close-up category. Another scanning electron micrograph, this image shows a pea weevil curled up inside a pea. However, it's not just the scanning electron microscopists that picked up prizes. Another SPL photographer, John Brackenbury, was awarded 1st prize in the Concepts category. His image, entitled "The Origin of Life", represents the theory of panspermia - that the seeds of life are found throughout the universe and life on earth arose when such seeds landed on earth. The image comprises a series of high speed photographs combined and enhanced in Photoshop. Above left: Weevil in a pea, SEM. STEVE GSCHMEISSNER Above right: Panspermia theory of life JOHN BRACKENBURY SPL, is the leading supplier of science imagery in the world, and has been a supporter of the Visions of Science Photographic Awards since 2001. It provides advice on developing the awards, as well as contributing £7000 prize money for the main categories. SPL encourages its own photographers to enter, but is not involved in the judging, so as to remain impartial. According to Maria Storey, Sales and Marketing Director at the SPL, "The Visions of Science Photographic Awards consistently appear to be able to attract a diverse range of entrants, ranging from scientists to amateur and professional photographers, to school children and this year, its reach went still further, to artists, with the popular new award "Art meets Science". The eclectic mix of entrants is reflected in the winning images, where we can see some fine examples of what is achievable today using state of the art scientific and computer imaging techniques as well as with standard and digital cameras." An exhibition of the winning images opens at the Science Museum, London on 29 September. It will then tour the country and further details can be obtained from www.visions-of-science.co.uk. Editors' notes: 1.  The main sponsor is Novartis AG, a world leader in pharmaceuticals and consumer health www.novartis.com 2.  The Daily Telegraph is the media sponsor www.telegraph.co.uk 3.  Prize money in the five main categories is donated by the Science Photo Library www.sciencephoto.com. SPL was founded in 1979 and is now the market leader for science imagery, operating on a global scale. SPL's success derives in part from its determination to provide the highest standards of representation to the photographers and illustrators whose imagery it markets, and a commitment to increasing awareness of science by making quality scientific imagery widely available. 4.  The Special Awards are sponsored by: Einstein Year Award  Institute of Physics - www.einsteinyear.org Medicine and Life  British Medical Journal - www.bmj.com Art meets Science  Science Learning Centres - www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk Young Photographer Award  Kodak Ltd - www.kodak.com 5.  Visions of Science judges this year include: Bob Bodman  Picture Editor, The Daily Telegraph Professor Raymond Clark  The Royal Photographic Society Tony Delamothe  Deputy Editor, British Medical Journal Nic Fleming  Science Correspondent, The Daily Telegraph Professor Sir Christopher Frayling  Rector, The Royal College of Art Adam Goff  Picture Editor, New Scientist Dr JJ Harris  Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd Dr Adam Hart-Davis  Photographer and TV Science Presenter Sandra Lousada  Association of Photographers Daniel Lezano  Editor, Photography Monthly Dr Mark Lythgoe  Neurophysiologist, University College London Dr Simon Singh  Scientist, Journalist, NESTA Trustee For more information and images contact Reena Shah, Marketing Executive, Science Photo Library, 327-329 Harrow Road, London W9 3RB. Tel: 020 7432 1100, Fax: 020 7286 8668, reena.shah@sciencephoto.com back to Press Releases