Get your cameras ready! Holidays are always a great time to enter sweepstakes and contests. Sponsors use these special days to draw more viewers to their sites and to get consumers buying their holiday products.

While you are taking your holiday pictures, keep sweepstaking in mind and then you will always have a good supply of pictures to enter in the skill contests posted.

Fujifilm has a contest running at http://www.halloweenphotocontest.com/, called “Picture Perfect Halloween.” It’s a fun way to see your loved ones displayed on the internet and there are some great prizes too.

Below I have a partial set of the rules for you read over, but as always, my motto is “Read the Rules!”

THERE IS NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

The contest begins October 8, 2009 and ends November 9, 2009 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time. To enter, go to www.HalloweenPhotoContest.com and click on the icon “Enter Now To Win.” Complete all of the requested information and upload a picture. Be sure to read all of their requirements.

There are six categories you can enter but they must be family appropriate for all ages.
• Best Pumpkins
• Cutest Baby Costumes: up to 2 years old
• Best Pets
• Best Kid’s Costumes: Ages 2-12
• Best Teens and Adult Costumes (family appropriate for all ages)
• Spooktacular Decorations

You are allowed to submit up to 60 entries among the 6 photo categories, but there will only be one first prize per household so you can have some fun with this. You can also use the same photo for different categories. You have to be the photographer of each photo you send in and have the permission of the person who is being used as the subject

There is one Grand Prize Winner from all the entries in all the categories. A trip for four (4) people to HERSHEYPARK, PA for the HERSHEYPARK in the DARK attraction in October 2010. Prize consists of round-trip coach air transportation for four (4) between Harrisburg, PA and major airport in U.S. nearest winner's home, 3-days/2-nights quad occupancy hotel accommodations at the Hershey Lodge, airport/hotel transfers, 8 admission passes to HERSHEYPARK in the DARK, 4 tickets to Hershey's Really Big 3D show at Hershey's Chocolate World, 4 tickets for the Hershey Trolley Tour, a Hershey's Chocolate Basket and $300 in "Chocolate Currency" to be used at most Hershey Entertainment & Resort properties as well as Hershey's Chocolate World (approx. retail value $4,500; actual value may vary depending on timing and departure city).

There are Six (6) First Prizes (one in each category): Enrollment in the New York Institute of Photography Short Course: Fundamentals of Digital Photography. Prize consists of 16 complete lessons, Audio CD Lesson Guides, Photo Workshop DVD Guide, Monthly Website Updates, personal Student Advisor, Audio Photo Analysis, and Graduation Certificate (upon completion). Also includes a $100 Rite Aid Gift Card. Photography course must be completed by December 31, 2010 (approx. retail value $498).

Six (6) Second Prizes (one in each category): Fujifilm Finepix ZW33 Digital Camera, plus a $75 Rite Aid Gift Card (approx. retail value $254.95); Six (6) Third Prizes (one in each category): A Rite Aid MY Way Reusable Digital Camera and $50 Rite Aid Gift Card (approx. retail value $79.99). Grand prize travel must occur during the HERSHEYPARK in the DARK attraction in October 2010. Grand Prize Winner may select alternate dates to travel to HERSHEYPARK in lieu of the HERSHEYPARK in the DARK period, but trip must be completed by December 31, 2010 and any portion of prize specific to the HERSHEYPARK in the DARK will be forfeited. Limit one first prize per household.

Winners will be judged on the creativity and originality of photo (50%); composition and arrangement of photo (25%) and relevancy to category topic (25%). Judging will be conducted between November 10, 2009 - December 31, 2009. Judges will select one (1) First Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize Winner in each of the six (6) categories, and one (1) overall Grand Prize Winner from among all valid entries received.

During the View and Vote period, website visitors may vote for their favorite photo, so have all of your friends visit the site and vote. The voting is just for entertainment and does not impact the Judging/Winner Selection.

To read more from Editor and Author Sandy Lovern, please visit
Sandy Lovern; and Sweepstakes Success
and to find out how some are winning all of those prizes you see, read Sweepstakes Your Guide to Winning! http://www.bellaonline.com/ebooks/ebook160