A multiphoton imaging method comprising: providing a semi-submersible microscope objective comprising: a microscope objective (110; 210) having a protective barrel with an optical inlet and optical outlet; a transparent protective coating disposed on a portion of the microscope objective (110; 210), covering and sealing the optical outlet but not the optical inlet, from contact with a liquid photoresist, wherein the transparent protective coating comprises at least one of polyvinyl alcohol or a polymer having pendant carboxyl or carboxylate groups, further wherein the transparent protective coating is dissolvable in a water-based solvent; immersing the semi-submersible microscope objective (100; 200) in the liquid photoresist comprising a multiphoton absorber and a polymerizable compound; scanning laser light through the semi-submersible microscope objective outlet into the liquid photoresist in an image-wise manner under conditions such that multiphoton absorption by the multiphoton absorber occurs, and at least partial polymerization of the polymerizable compound occurs resulting in an exposed photoresist; removing the semi-submersible microscope objective (100; 200) from the liquid photoresist and removing the transparent protective coating from the microscope objective without damaging the microscope objective_by exposing the transparent protective coating to a water-based solvent to dissolve the transparent protective coating; and developing the exposed photoresist. providing a semi-submersible microscope objective comprising: a microscope objective (110; 210) having a protective barrel with an optical inlet and optical outlet; a transparent protective coating disposed on a portion of the microscope objective (110; 210), covering and sealing the optical outlet but not the optical inlet, from contact with a liquid photoresist, wherein the transparent protective coating comprises at least one of polyvinyl alcohol or a polymer having pendant carboxyl or carboxylate groups, further wherein the transparent protective coating is dissolvable in a water-based solvent; a microscope objective (110; 210) having a protective barrel with an optical inlet and optical outlet; a transparent protective coating disposed on a portion of the microscope objective (110; 210), covering and sealing the optical outlet but not the optical inlet, from contact with a liquid photoresist, wherein the transparent protective coating comprises at least one of polyvinyl alcohol or a polymer having pendant carboxyl or carboxylate groups, further wherein the transparent protective coating is dissolvable in a water-based solvent; immersing the semi-submersible microscope objective (100; 200) in the liquid photoresist comprising a multiphoton absorber and a polymerizable compound; scanning laser light through the semi-submersible microscope objective outlet into the liquid photoresist in an image-wise manner under conditions such that multiphoton absorption by the multiphoton absorber occurs, and at least partial polymerization of the polymerizable compound occurs resulting in an exposed photoresist; removing the semi-submersible microscope objective (100; 200) from the liquid photoresist and removing the transparent protective coating from the microscope objective without damaging the microscope objective_by exposing the transparent protective coating to a water-based solvent to dissolve the transparent protective coating; and developing the exposed photoresist.