PPA announces 18 photographers that will represent the United States in the 2021 World Cup

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) have announced the teams from 38 countries who will participate in the 2021 World Photographic Cup. The competition aims to unite photographers in the spirit of friendship and cooperation. It was created in 2013 by PPA and FEP.

“The unveiling of Team USA’s images and creators is always an exciting time,” said David Trust, CEO, PPA. “In the seven years of the World Photographic Cup, Team USA has brought home the Cup three times and taken the second place trophy three times. It is a worldwide affirmation of the quality of work produced by PPA members.”

Each country is represented by one team, which is chosen by a national association of professional photographers. Teams pick their own photographers and images to enter. They may submit up to three images in each of six categories: Commercial (including advertising, architecture, industrial, fashion), Illustrative, Nature, Portrait, Reportage, and Wedding. Teams may choose to enter the images of a single photographer in multiple categories, but no single photographer may have multiple images entered into a single category. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to the individual creator in each category for first, second, and third place. Teams are awarded points based on an aggregate score of the top ten images in all categories, and the World Photographic Cup is awarded to the national team that receives the highest overall score.

The 2021 Team USA finalist photographers are:

Commercial category:

David Foltz
John Gladman, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr.
Ben Shirk, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr.

Illustrative category:

Dana Rose
Ben Shirk, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr.
Eich Caparas, M.Photog.M.Artist.

Nature category:

Steven Barger
Steven Blandin, M.Photog.
Hendro Soetrisno, M.Photog.

Portrait category:

Rosalind Guder
Kathy Wierda, M.Photog.Cr.
Erich Caparas, M.Photog.M.Artist.

Reportage category:

Kevin Dooley, M.Photog.
Gail Nogle, M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP
Sandra Pearce, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., CPP

Wedding category:

Andrew Joseph
Jackie Kramer
Armando Munoz, M.Photog.

The WPC top-ten finalist images in each category will be formally announced alongside the Best of Nation Awards as part of Imaging USA. Then, the winner of the World Photographic will be announced at the WPC Awards Ceremony in Rome, Italy, on April 19, 2021.