I have had the honor of photographing the winners of The Service to America Awards (ironicaly refered to as "The Sammies") for most of it's 8 year history. Part of the job is shooting environmental portraits of the winners several months before the award announcement and program. The photos are used for press release and as part of the program at the annual awards dinner in Washington, DC.
It's a thrilling thing to both meet and photograph these amazing people who excel in science, security, justice, and other fields of public service. We shoot the photos on location with the background giving a sense of the kind of work the people perform. It's also thrilling to see the portraits on giant banners (over 4 feet square) that line the event entrance.
See several years of Sammies winners on the "project" section of kittner.com.
Also find out more about the Sammies and The Partnership for Public Service on these linked websites.
