Aperture Academy in Campbell, CA, offers outdoor workshops, in studio instruction, Photoshop and digital darkroom classes and now they are hosting-sponsoring an annual photography contest with four prize levels and great sponsor gifts.

CAMPBELL, CA--APRIL 23, 2010--Aperture Academy founder and master photographer, Stephen Oachs, announced Aperture Academy's first annual photography competition, Extraordinary Exposures 2010. There are three theme categories for entry: Natural Landscapes, Wildlife, and Urban Landscapes.

Submissions are being accepted until midnight on November 30, 2010, with the judging and prize award winners to be announced December 15, 2010. Grand prize is $1,000 cash, awarded by Aperture Academy, along with prizes by ThinkTank, BayPhoto.com, LowePro and Red River Paper. Along with the grand prize, there will also be cash and product awards for first, second and third places.

The contest rules, submission form and list of prizes and sponsors can be found at Aperture Academy's website, ApertureAcademy.com. Along with the contest, their website also offers a Photo of the Day gallery, articles to help improve your photography skills, free online photo galleries, classes, workshops and a virtual tour of the Campbell, CA gallery.

To learn more about Extraordinary Exposures 2010 Contest, and submit your entries, go online to www.apertureacademy.com/photography-contest-2010.php. For more about Aperture Academy, see course schedules, or to inquire about reserving the gallery for your function, visit http://www.ApertureAcademy.com or call 408-369-8585.

:: About Aperture Academy ::
Founded by award-winning photographer and entrepreneur, Stephen W. Oachs, the Aperture Academy is a unique combination of fine art photography gallery and state-of-the-art teaching facility featuring classroom and in-field workshop instruction. Established in 2009 by Stephen Oachs, the Academy is located in Campbell, California, in the Pruneyard Shopping Center. The Academy offers a fun, interactive environment for learning everything related to digital photography, providing the best hands-on instruction in the industry. The state-of-the-art facility has individual student workstations outfitted with the latest software and hardware for Mac and PC platforms. Professional, award-winning instructors guide students of any skill level from learning to shoot in the field to techniques for digital post-processing, in a relaxed, personalized environment. Also an event venue, the 4,000 square foot facility's open floor plan makes it perfectly suited for social receptions, business and fund-raising events, camera club meetings and much more. Visit www.ApertureAcademy.com or call (408) 369-8585 to learn more about the school, reserve the gallery, or to register for classes.

:: About Stephen W. Oachs ::
Stephen Oachs is an award-winning photographer, successful entrepreneur and technology veteran who began his journey in photography the moment he picked up his first camera. Stephen's unique and distinctive style has earned him recognition as one of today's finest nature photographers. He was recognized in 2007 as wildlife photographer of the year by the National Wildlife Federation and was awarded best nature photographer in 2008 by National Geographic for his work photographing the endangered snow leopard. In 2009, Stephen founded The Aperture Academy, a unique combination of fine art photography gallery and classroom.

His work has graced the pages of many notable worldwide publications, including National Geographic, Popular Photography, Outdoor Photographer, National Wildlife Magazine, among others. Stephen and his work have been profiled locally in Gentry Magazine, and The Mercury News, and he has made numerous appearances as a guest lecturer.

Press Contact:
Kelly Baldwin, Aperture Academy
press@apertureacademy.com
408-369-8585