The Professional Photographers of America Summer Shootout winners have been chosen, and “Sea of Red” by J.D. Wacker of Photography by J.D. of Clintonville won first place in the open category and was selected for the Grand Prize.
J.D.’s image was selected by world-class judges as the best image in the competition from over 2,000 entries.
The competition was open July through September only to professional photographers who are PPA members. Entries came from the best photographers on the planet. J.D. will receive a total of $1,750 prize money ($750 for his first place award, plus $1,000 for the grand prize) at the PPA IUSA international convention in San Antonio, Texas in January.
Although J.D. is known best for his portraiture and commercial imaging, he and his father Dave and now son David all enjoy covering area sporting events. J.D. worked as a photojounalist while still in high school. He photographed for regional newspapers and a few national magazines as well as working with his parents in the family photography business which dates back to 1906. Also, J.D. has photographed many area sports teams and other school groups for over twenty-seven years.
“Sea of Red” is an image J.D. captured during the University of Wisconsin Badgers football game versus the San Jose State Spartans Sept. 11. In the image, Wisconsin cornerback Niles Brinkley (29) breaks up a pass intended for SJSU receiver Noel Grigsby (23). J.D. selected this image from a series of images he captured of the play where the receiver actually landed on his head. J.D. says that he chose this image because “It demonstrated slightly better composition and because of the contrast of the blue receiver ‘swimming’ through a sea of red fans.”