Inside an oboe by Larilee Elkhart of the USA. This is a view looking through the upper body of the instrument towards the reed hole. The space is just 8mm in diameter, and the keyhole in the foreground is just 2mm across. At this magnification the African Blackwood, which usually appears monotone, bursts into colour. Its fine grain is amplified to become snaking chasms.

This oboe is one of the smallest spaces photographed for this collection and was an enormous challenge to capture. The final image is a blend of 200 photos, taken with a Storz Arthroscope specially adapted to a Lumix camera.