Aperture Academy, the fine art photo gallery and digital photography school by Stephen W. Oachs in Campbell, CA, has launched a free photograph sharing website with a social networking slant to support, encourage and promote photographers of all levels and skills.

CAMPBELL, CA—OCTOBER 20, 2011—Aperture Academy founder and master photographer, Stephen W. Oachs, has announced the launch of 72dpi.com, a community photo sharing site that utilizes social networking and interaction between photographers to support and encourage anyone with a love of photography, from hobbyists to full-time professionals.

Oachs explains, "72dpi is a photography social media website that combines the Aperture Academy's free online community galleries and our very popular Photo-of-the-Day viewer-rated competition into a single portal. We felt it was important to provide a social networking hub for photographers to share their work with a larger audience, while getting a chance to collaborate, have fun and learn from one another.

"Merging our three year old POTD with our community user galleries into a social savvy community is a natural progression in our ongoing mission to support our fellow photographers and photo enthusiasts. We're very excited about this project and we are receiving tremendously positive feedback from users."

Oachs has over 15 years of experience in technology development, as a founder of several successful web ventures. Now, as a professional photographer, he utilizes his technology background to provide increasingly interactive opportunities for his Aperture Academy students and other photographers. ApertureAcademy.com and 72dpi.com are successful examples of his mission. To learn more about 72dpi.com, visit the site at http://www.72dpi.com, or contact Aperture Academy at 408-369-8585.

:: About Aperture Academy ::
Founded by award-winning master 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 in the U.S. and around the world. Established in 2009 by 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 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:
Stephen Oachs, Aperture Academy
press@apertureacademy.com
408-369-8585