Get your cameras out, dust off the lenses, and join us in celebrating the beauty and the wonder of science with the SA Science Lens competition.

Scientists working in nanotechnology research interact with a world at the nanoscale that most of us never see. We want scientists in the field of nanotechnology, who are passionate about their work and want to share their world with us, to take photographs of their research and send to us.

The 2017 SA Science Lens competition has four categories, namely; Science as Art, which is all about capturing images that illustrate the beauty of science or show subjects in abstract ways; Science in Action, which focuses on capturing science as it happens either in the natural world or in the workplace of scientists or researchers; Science Close-up, which reveals aspects of science that cannot be seen with the naked eye and can be taken with macro lenses or by using techniques such as microscopy and, lastly, a special category for 2017, Science of South Africa, showing world-class South African science we can be proud of.

So from August to November we want you to think about your research through a different lens and look for the visual beauty in your work that you may not always notice or think about. Take some science snaps of your research findings or your experiments. Show us what you see in the nanoworld. Entries close on 10 November 2017. There are fantastic prizes up for grabs. R10000 will be awarded to the winner of each category, and R5000 to the runners-up.

So, are you feeling inspired? Do you think you can take a winning photo? Fill in the entry form and upload your photos at www.saasta.ac.za/competitions/sa-science-lens. Also follow us on Instagram at sa_sciencelens to see more science photos that may spark your ideas.