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Department of Engineering

Microsoft Photography Competition at the Department of Engineering winning images

Microsoft Photography Competition at the Department of Engineering winning images

"Blue Spikes"

The winning image in the Microsoft Photography Competition recently held at the Department of Engineering, was taken by Dr Sonja Findeisen-Tandel, a Research Associate in the Photonics Research Group in the Electrical Engineering Division. Sonja will receive the first prize of a Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade Pack with Halo 3 that has been generously donated by Microsoft.

I have synthesised a lot of mesophases to investigate property-structure relationships and I was thinking it would be a good idea show my best photographs to people who are not working on liquid crystals and amaze them with these beautiful images

Dr Sonja Findeisen-Tandel

First prize
Dr Sonja Findeisen-Tandel
'Blue spikes'

The photograph shows the growth of a mesophase composed of liquid crystals in a state which is neither crystalline nor liquid, but something in between. As the phase grows in the drop of liquid crystal material, molecules align in different ways. Their alignment interferes with the passage of light causing it to twist and turn. In a microscope that uses polarising light, this is revealed as colours and textures - this interaction of liquid crystals and polarised light is commonly used in television screens and the displays on our mobile phones. Sonja has the expertise to interpret these images and identify the mesophase. Sonja explains, "I have synthesised a lot of mesophases to investigate property-structure relationships and I was thinking it would be a good idea show my best photographs to people who are not working on liquid crystals and amaze them with these beautiful images".

For more information contact:
Dr Sonja Findeisen-Tandel email: sf386@cam.ac.uk
Supervisor Professor Harry Coles

 

Second prize
Sam Cocks
'First Light'

The photo that has won second prize, was taken by Sam Cocks, a first year student at the Department of Engineering. Sam will receive the second prize of an HTC touch phone s620, a messaging smartphone that includes Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 which has been generously donated by Microsoft.

Sam's photograph was taken at sunset, on 15th March 2007 to capture the first night of power for the secluded Masai village of Essilanke. Tom says, 'The village school provided the site for the first trial of a project that I spent three months working on in Kenya: developing a small-scale wind turbine capable of providing a practical solution for electrifying remote regions.' This extraordinary photo has not been enhanced in any way.

 

'First Light'

The second prize photo: 'First Light'

For more information contact:
Sam Cocks email: sjc238@cam.ac.uk

 

Third prize
Dr Ingrid Graz
'Moth'

The photograph that has won third prize was taken by Dr Ingrid Graz a Research Associate at the Nanoscience Centre in the Electrical Engineering Division, she will receive the third prize of Windows Vista and Office 2007 that has been generously donated by Microsoft.

'My topic is stretchable electronics. I create thin metal films that can be reversibly stretched and remain conductive. PDMS serves as our platform/substrate. PDMS is Polydimethylsiloxane a elastomeric polymer and after being reversibly stretched, comes back to its origninal size and form. These thin-metal films provide a platform for the realization of stretchable electronic circuits. We cast the PDMS into petri dishes by mixing the liquid polymer with a curing agent and after stirring, the mixture is cured for 24 hours at 70 degree Celsius. This photograph shows a multilayer sandwich of gold and PDMS. The image was taken by optical microscope. There are no manipulations or enhancements to the photograph.'

'Moth'

The third prize photo: 'Moth'

 

For more information contact:
Ingrid Graz email: img21@cam.ac.uk

Supervisor Dr Stephanie Lacour

Other entries in the Department's 2008 photo competition can be seen at www.eng.cam.ac.uk/photocomp/2008/

The Department's 2008 alumni photography competition has received some excellent entries to view the winning photo and other entries visit www.eng.cam.ac.uk/photocomp/2008/alumni_entries/

© Copyright notice
You may copy an image from the photography competition, reproduce it, and distribute it, but only if you clearly attribute the image to the student or academic who took the photograph, state that they work in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, and acknowledge Microsoft's sponsorship of the competition. It would also be courteous to provide a links to www.eng.cam.ac.uk and www.microsoft.com We would be delighted to hear where the images have been used. Please contact marketing@eng.cam.ac.uk to let us know.

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