The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar continues a four-decade tradition of breaking new ground for visual specialists by showcasing the world’s best photojournalists at the top of their game and providing hands-on skills, business and video workshops plus a popular world-class photojournalism contest in Atlanta Nov. 29 -Dec. 1, 2012. This year’s Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar will be another standout, with special 40th Anniversary three-day event pricing packages from $269.00 at http://www.photojournalism.org and rewards for early registration.

Starting October 31st the seminar will have a random weekly drawing of registrants for prizes that include: Ten portfolio review passes that allow the ticket holder priority selection of their top choice (onereview per ticket), two chances to join the faculty and staff for dinner on Friday Nov. 30th and four free seminar t-shirts. Two portfolio passes and one other prize will be randomly selected each Wednesday and announced on our Facebook page and via twitter.

To celebrate the Atlanta Seminar’s 40th anniversary , Rich Addicks and Ken Hawkins organized the inaugural “V Day”. A day of programming – Thursday, Nov. 29 – dedicated to video to share insider knowledge from multimedia journalists making a successful jump from still photography. Thursday presentations by Pulitzer Prize-winning still photographer – turned DSLR guru -Vincent Laforet, outdoor adventure photography specialist Corey Rich, San Francisco Chronicle visual journalist Mike Kepka, documentary videographer Ben Knight of Felt Soul Media, hometown Atlanta favorites Mike Senzon and Nancy Donaldson of CNN.com and other multimedia specialists will highlight the ever-changing media landscape facing photojournalists.

On Friday, workshops include sports specialist Pouya Dianat of the Atlanta Braves, showing how he gets amazing action photos, and past ASMP president Judy Herrmann brings her business acumen and know-how to offer a photojournalist’s guide to successful self-employment. Also on Friday, NPR multimedia specialist Keith Jenkins will explain the challenges and rewards of marrying photos to rich audio story-telling, recognized as the industry standard. Meanwhile, NPPA legal counsel Micky Osterreicher briefs attendees on photographer’s rights and challenges in the digital world.

Canon Explorer of Light presenter Laforet continues his two day Atlanta seminar stand on Friday by showing how DSLR cameras are becoming cinematographer’s “go-to” choice for film work. As in the past, Saturday speakers include a virtual who’s who of photojournalists splashed across the home pages of publications world-wide.

On Saturday, Pulitzer Prize winners Michael Williamson of the Washington Post and April Saul of the Philadelphia Inquirer will talk about documentary work that helped change lives, while Stephen Crowley of the New York Times, David Gilkey of NPR and Jim Lo Scalzo of European Pressfoto Agency round out the Atlanta Seminar on Photojournalism’s 40 years of visual excellence.

The International photo contest itself has long been a bell-weather gauge on how world events play out in other major news photo contests around the globe. Several APS contest 1st place images have gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize. This year’s contest deadline is November 18th at midnight. Go to http://www.photojournalism.org for more information.