It’s American Thanksgiving Day-- time to give thanks to all the creative geniuses that have given us our Aperture Software, and the amazing technology from auto-focus to digital sensors packed with megapixels that don’t need much light, which make it way easier for us to go out and capture our world and the things that are important to us.

If you’ve been a good and conscientious Aperture user, you have at least one Smart Album that gathers together all your FIVE STAR PORTFOLIO CONTEST WINNING SHOTS that will get you fame and fabulous prizes going into the new year.

Seriously though, I’m often amazed and frankly disappointed, when I go through my 5-Star images, at the lack of truly portfolio-worthy photos that exist in my year’s worth of shooting.

It’s a wake-up call, a realization that the life of a professional photographer is exciting and diverse, but filled with 3-Star bread & butter assignments and many distractions with not enough time to shoot. That’s my excuse anyway. Because I know; the more I shoot, the more I will confidently press the 5-Key when rating my images in Aperture.

This day is a good time to take stock on the year’s shoot before the year is out, because there’s still time to thicken that portfolio folder. It’s also a good time to start thinking about the next year and maybe set some goals, without the rush and stress of the holiday Season and the new year banging on the door.

Photo Copyright Steve Simon

So my one big early resolution is: I pledge to schedule some shooting time every week, so when I’m not on assignment or getting bug-eyed at my computer, I will make sure to exercise my photographic muscles and pump of the volume of my shooting, which I know leads to good things photographically.

Maybe I’ll start with four shooting-hours a week. Doesn’t sound like much time, but if I can find a project to work on, or a general theme, or just go out and shoot--the cumulative time spent will lead to more good work and inspiration that can take me places I can’t predict. I know this from past experience.

BACK TO NOW

There are a bunch of contests coming up, and there must be one image that you made this year (or will make today), that can give you and your work a boost.

Here are three contests that are free to enter and offer great rewards, and to state the obvious, you won’t win unless you enter.

Aperture Nature Photography Workshops

Deadline: 12/04/2008 Hurray!
There’s not much time left to win a free trip to Yosemite, expert Aperture instruction, thousands of dollars worth of prizes and a week you won’t forget.

M.I.L.K.

Deadline: 12/31/2008
Prizes: up to $50K in cash! And your photographs immortalized in a book.


Sony World Photography Awards


Deadline: 12/31/2008
Prizes: Your own exhibition and a trip to Cannes for the awards ceremony, cash and prizes. There’s a separate section for Pros and Amateurs.

Be very wary of contests that take away your copyright or have a rules page longer than War and Peace, like this one from our friends at National Geographic.

"When I submit a photo to the photo contest, what rights does the National Geographic Society have to my submission?

You are granting a royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of your image in any media for editorial, commercial, promotional, and trade uses in connection with National Geographic products."

It doesn’t take your copyright, but you are giving away a lot. Give me a break, there’s a lot of legal stuff here to win a book.

Can fame and fortune be living inside your 5-Star Smart Album? The great thing about Aperture is you can create an export pre-set for all the contests you plan to enter, exporting images that fit the specific requirements for each competition.

follow me on Twitter.