March 2019

Regeneron Science Talent Search

Society for Science & the Public

Regeneron awarded $3.1 million in prize money to the young scientists of the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent search. The top winners were announced on Tuesday March 12, 2019 at a gala at the National Building Museum in downtown Washington, D.C.

This is my 4th year photographing this event and it never seizes to amaze me how much intelligence is in the room:  award winning, patent earning, life changing kinds of people. I am incredibly grateful to get to document a timeless event that is the story of the next generation of young adults who really have great potential to change our world for the better. 

This year my photography duties kicked off capturing posed photos of attendees on the Red Carpet and step-and-repeat. Following this I got to spend some time photographing the finalists sharing their projects with attendees. Afterwards came dinner, which is always a great time to capture some candid socialization moments right before food is served. As it is natural for guests to get uncomfortable with the camera on them while they are eating, I tend to focus on the broader view of the event when food is served. This is the time when I'll make my way to different vantage points in the room, documenting the overall feel of the space and how the event itself and the space really do allow for this event to be an elegant and exciting experience. Though I have photographed events in the National Building Museum many of times, I always make my way the whole way around the event every time. There are often subtle differences from event to event with the setup, lighting, and branding. I do my best to move quickly through getting each angle and later during my edit I determine what actually looks the best rather than spending too much time thinking about it while I am behind the camera. After dinner, President of Society for Science & the Public Maya Ajmera announced the winner of the Seaborg Class Speaker. Following her speech the founders of Regeneron inspired the room. Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos, both STS alum, encouraged the students to challenge the impossible and we 'need you to save our world.' 

Finally, the grand finally of top finalists announced with an array of streamers bursting out after the entire group was congratulated!