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Enter a fun, free online Christmas Photo Contest at Family-Vacation-Getaways.com! Updated February 6, 2010. Related contest pages-- Halloween-- 2010 Halloween Costume Photo Contest :: 9/08 Halloween Winners :: 10/08 Halloween Winners, pt 1 :: 10/08 Halloween Winners, pt 2 :: Christmas-- Christmas 2010 Photo Contest :: Summer-- Vacation Photo Contest, 2010 Family-Vacation-Getaways.com'sChristmas Photo Contest!The 2009 winners have been announced by the judges! If you didn't enter, start thinking about your Christmas Contest 2010 entry!In the slide show above, you're viewing some of the winning photos from the 2009 Christmas contest which were recently announced. On the rest of this page, you can view still MORE prize-winning photos...and make your plans to enter next year's contest! Here are the names of the contest's top prize winners!The 2009 Christmas Contest received over twice as many entries as the 2008 contest---there were 200 photos entered in this event! Not only was the contest larger this year, but also there were so many high-quality pictures submitted that it was absolutely impossible for all of the good shots to win a prize. This was a very tough contest to judge, and very difficult to make eliminations. Nevertheless, a list of winners emerged after many rounds of deliberations. Here are the names of the contestants who submitted the top prize-winning pictures to the 2009 Christmas Photo Contest.(You may notice that there is a 4-way tie for 3rd place...something which has never happened before in one of the Family-Vacation-Getaways.com contests. But there's a first time for everything! During the course of the contest's judging process, there were 4 photos which each amassed an equivalent number of points. All of them are terrific pictures and they will each win a 3rd place prize.) Our Grand Prize winner is Kerri Haycook of Florida. What a heart-melting photo of her children sharing the warmth and love of the Christmas season with a hug! Kerri wins the $100 prize for this very touching entry. Winning 2nd place in the contest is Jennifer Tracy of Arkansas. Jennifer's quick thinking captured the image of her friend's daughter peeking out the window trying to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus on his way. Jennifer wins a $75 prize for this charming photo of a child's sweet innocence and belief. 3rd place winners include-- Kat Harris of Tennessee for her very artistic shot of "Santa caught taking a break." Fabian Lozano of Texas. You see his son delighted at being able to make his first snowman; after all, snowfall is a rare event in Houston! Bonnie Abelew of New York. What a fun wintry scene she created for her doggies...complete with homemade costumes, as well! Melissa Andrews of Ontario, Canada. Her newborn was one of the youngest contestants in the contest. Melissa's careful planning and patience rewarded her with an expressive Baby Santa photo that she'll remember for a lifetime. More contest winners!Precious Newborns of ChristmasSarah Torres of Illinois won the Precious Newborns of Christmas category with her sweet baby Santa picture. Runners up in this category are LynnEl Springer of Illinois, who shot this adorable Miss Claus photo of her newborn granddaughter; and Nicole Andra of Utah, whose twin bundles of joy looked so cute posed in their elegant Christmas stockings. Costumes of ChristmasJoan Easterling of Mississippi won this year's "Costumes of Christmas" category with the photo of her adorable 16 month old son in his colorful elf costume. Runners up in this category were Sam Kaul whose infant son dressed as Santa looked simply heart-melting posed in the family's 200-year-old rocking chair; and Toni Campo of New York, whose little girl with a huge smile makes such an enchanting Miss Claus. Artistry of ChristmasA new addition to the 2009 Christmas Contest is the "Artistry of Christmas" category. These contestants entered photographs of unique subjects, made special use of lighting, or noticed unusual opportunities for shots among the details of holiday decorations and settings. Winner of the Artistry category is Vicky Barber of Tennessee, who cleverly caught the reflection of Santa Claus in a shiny ornament on her Christmas tree. There was a 3-way tie for the runner-up positions. These spots were won by Joseph Prato of Maryland, who captured his son blowing out a candle for Santa; by Nicole Hiltibran of California with her clever and unusual "bicycle with poinsettias" picture; and by Kevin Tanguay of New Hampshire, whose night shot of his Jack Russell terrier looking out the window made for a beautiful nighttime scene. Decorations of ChristmasWinning the Decorations of Christmas category this year are Marc and Deb Hansen of Nebraska. Marc and Deb add to their community's Christmas spirit every year with their home's light show featuring over 60,000 bulbs total...and a seasonal soundtrack of music computerized to synchronize with the movement of the lighting display, as well! Jay Peterson, a runner-up in this category, also puts on a handsome light show for his neighbors. His gorgeous decorations surely attract visitors from far beyond his local area. Gale Burghart, the other runner-up in this category, is also certainly well-known around her Kansas neighborhood for her stunning Nativity decorations. The Humor of ChristmasOne fun addition to this year's contest is a humor category. Tamara Thomas is the winner of this category with her sweet-yet-funny picture of her son stealing Santa's cookies and milk! Runner-up Renee Whalberg of Minnesota gave all the judges a good laugh with her over-the-top "cat hates Santa" picture! And Joanne Winter of New York also gave the judges a giggle with the picture of her son proving he's NOT too proud to beg Santa for his favorite gift! The Santa Visits of ChristmasWhat would Christmas with children be without a visit to see Santa Claus? Patrick Nowlen of Florida sent in the winning photo in this category; his daughter seems to be thinking hard about what gift she wants to request! 3 photos tied for the runner-up spots in this category. Lindsey Rueter of Arkansas entered a very lovely photo of her baby's first visit with Santa. Christi Williams of Florida sent her daughter's photo showing the girl's obvious enchantment with Santa. And Barbara Dolan of New Jersey sent her daughter's picture showing us the deep and unfeigned love this little girl has for Santa Claus! The Special Clothes of ChristmasA number of our contestants dressed up in their holiday finery for Christmas--enough, in fact, to make a category! Kelly Hunter of California wins the Special Clothing category. Her little girl's picture looks so sweet...and her outfit is simply stunning, as well. Runners up in this category are Russell Hale of North Carolina for his daughter's adorable picture, posing in the mirror wearing her velvety dress and Santa hat; and Marlana Harvey of Ohio, who submitted the precious picture of her baby girl...wearing her very first Christmas dress. Double Category: The Faces of ChristmasPeople's faces reflects so much about them...and in this category, you'll see expressions of happiness, joy, wonder, and awe. In other words, all the fun & emotions associated with the holiday season! This is a "double catetory" which is twice as large as the single categories. Therefore, this category will have 2 winners and 4 runners-up. Angela Cuocci of Maryland captured one of the winner's prizes by taking this sweet picture of her daughter (for a special Christmas card to Dad.) Nicole Hornett of Alberta, Canada also receives a winner's prize in the Faces of Christmas category with her son's heart-melting "first Christmas" picture. Runners up in this category are: Tina Emery of Colorado with her baby girl's smiling Santa Hat photo; Shawn Bashary of California with her son's sweet picture relaxing under the Christmas tree; Lori Boggetti of Pennsylvania for taking a photo which captures the joy of Christmas shown in the faces of her two young sons; and Tara Nelson of Missouri for her daughter's happy Christmas picture with her beloved doggie. Double Category: The Special Moments of ChristmasThe Christmas season is filled with special times for families. Memories are made that can last a lifetime. Children face new experiences, families feel more love, and people act in more generous and charitable ways. In the touching photos that were submitted to this contest, we can see how these families made fond and lasting memories during the 2009 holiday season. There were two winners in this double-sized category. Laurie Heath of California charmed the judges with her children's heartwarming picture of sibling love. Jennifer McGuire of Oklahoma captured the other winner's spot. She describes her beautiful picture saying, "My husband and son spent a whole day setting up this vintage Lionel Train around our tree. It was so special getting to see our 2-year-old watch the magic unfold." Runners up in the Special Moments of Christmas category are: Eileen Fiore of Rhode Island with her sweet picture of brotherly love; Melissa Jensen of Wisconsin, who sent a touching photo of her two children sharing special moments at the piano; Melanie Conner of Georgia, for the very special picture of her boys playing together by the Christmas tree; and Chris Gardiner of Ontario, Canada for submitting the bittersweet photo of a child's first Christmas after a tragic loss. Triple Category: The Pets of ChristmasFor the 2009 Christmas photo contest, there were so many adorable pets entered that it made up a triple-sized category! (Therefore, there will be 3 pet category winners.) Some of our cutest contestants were furry fellows! The 3 winners of the extra-large Pets of Christmas category are: Lauren Blackstock of Georgia with her gorgeous Christmas card photo...and the eyes of all 4 doggies are on the camera! Paul Capello of Massachusetts also won with his well-loved Neapolitan Mastiff puppy's adorable Santa Hat pose. Melanie Garrety is our 3rd winner with her sleek Bengal cat's lovely pose. Runners up in the Pets category include the following entries: Danielle Corey with her adorable new puppy bedecked in his Santa cap and sitting in a ribboned package under the tree. Marianne Mills quick-thinking photo as she caught the humorous sight of her pet ferret checking out the ferret ornament on the Christmas tree! Gary Guernsey of Utah, for his whimsical kitten's picture; exclaims Gary, "We have a new kitten that we can not keep out of the Christmas Tree!" Other runners up in the Pets of Christmas category are: Denise Jay of British Columbia, Canada for her adorable Corgi named Klaus...all dressed up as Santa Claus. Scott Shimmin for his fluffy white Golden Retriever puppy's picture arranged among his favorite Christmas toys. And, Jennifer Gaddis of Florida for her Boston Terrier's sweet Christmas picture. Incomplete category: Crafts of ChristmasFor the 2009 contest, a new "Crafts" category was added to the contest. Unfortunately, only 2 different people submitted crafts photos to the contest (for a total of 4 entry pictures.) These pictures will be eligible for the contest's major prizes. However, there can't be a category winner; it wouldn't be fair to the contestants competing in regular-sized categories. But because these contestants don't have the chance to win a "best of category" prize, they will each receive a category-cancellation award. These contestants are Beth Abelew of New York, who submitted 3 cute home-made Christmas cards; and Angela Wood of Ohio, who submitted a collection of beautiful hand-painted Christmas ornaments. Plan ahead for the 2010 Christmas Photo Contest!2010 Prizes for the Christmas Photo ContestThere will be a Grand Prize of $100 for the best entry, regardless of its category of submission. The 2nd Place Prize will win $75. And, there will be a 3rd Place Prize, which will win $50. Category winners will receive $25 prizes. Honorable Mention prizes of $10 will go to the runners-up in each of the contest's categories. For a listing of the contest's categories, please see the next section of this page. Christmas Contest CategoriesHere's a more detailed description of this contest's categories
Submissions to last year's Christmas Photo Contest were grouped into the following categories:1.) The Faces of Christmas category showcases the reaction of babies, children, adults...and even pets...to the holiday events around them. Some faces exhibit awe; others, curiosity. Some are funny! But all are insightful into the way we North Americans celebrate the Christmas season. 2.) The Decorations of Christmas category showcases the beautiful Christmas trees, lights, wreaths and other decorations which our contestants have used to adorn their homes and yards. 3.) The Costumes of Christmas category highlights the cute, whimsical and inspirational costumes that our contestants, their children and their pets have worn to make the holiday season a bit brighter for all who see them. 4.) The Newborns of Christmas, a category which had so many entries in 2009 that it was able to have its own category! 5.) The Artistry of Christmas features very artistic shots, including unusual viewpoints, unique lighting, etc. 6.) The Humor of Christmas features rib-tickling photos that will get you grinning. 7.) The Santa Visits of Christmas, the smiles...and the frowns! 8.) The Special Clothing of Christmas, featuring our contestants showing off their holiday finery 9.) The Special Moments of Christmas, depicting the love, joy, tenderness and warmth that glows especially strongly in our hearts & homes during the holiday season 10.) The Pets of Christmas, showing how our adorable furry friends help to make the season especially bright for us. Because the types of photos entered into the contest may be different from year to year, the same categories that we had in the 2009 contest may OR MAY NOT be the same in 2010 (based on the types of photos that are entered into the contest.) 2010 Christmas Contest Rules
1.) Contest Dates: The 2010 Christmas Photo Contest was open for submission on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, 2010. The last day to register for the Christmas Contest will be January 3, 2010. All outstanding photos must be received by Tuesday, January 5th. Contest judging will begin on January 7, 2011. Hopefully, the panel of judges will have the contest's winners selected within 7 to 10 day's time...but selecting a winner is difficult, and it may take up to 2 weeks (as it did during the 2009 competition.)2.) Eligibility for the Christmas Contest: The Family-Vacation-Getaways.com Christmas contest is open to US and Canadian readers age 13 and above (void where prohibited or regulated in your locality.) Photos must be taken by the contestant. This contest is free to enter, and no purchase of products advertised on this website (such as costumes) is necessary. 3.) Number of entries: You may enter pictures of 3 different costumes, people, pets or decorations. However, you may also send in additional "detail shots" for the judges to see. Especially if you're entering a picture of yard decorations, adding additional shots will help the judges to see the individual components better. 4.) Judging will be based on the following qualities: Aesthetics of the costumes & decorations (eg. how cute or attractive is the photo?); originality; clarity of the photo; appropriateness to a family-oriented website. 5.) Awarding the prizes: Following the announcement of winners in mid-January, 2011, winning contestants will be emailed. At that time, winners will need to submit their mailing addresses (in order that their checks may be sent to them.) Christmas Contest panel of guest judges
The panel of judges for the 2010 Christmas Photo Contest has not been selected. Here is a list of last season's judges--1.) Renee Lauren, Modeling Specialist: Renee' Lauren has been in the modeling industry for l5 years working with a top NY agency. She is the author of the "Let's Model" modeling guide, and runs the www.ChildModelsAdvice.com website. Child Models Advice is a fun, safe place for your child on the web, and includes information on fashion, modeling, health and fitness. Parents may be interested to know that Renee's website hosts a monthly Child Model contest. 2.) Sue Koranki, Pet Specialist: Sue has been a long-time pet lover, and now runs the fun & informative website, www.The-Puppy-Dog-Place.com Is Sue familiar with cute puppies? You bet! In the process of administering her site's "Pup of the Month" photo competition, she's seen hundreds of adorable four-footed darlings! Whether you're looking for puppy information (health, feeding, naming, training, etc), or would simply like to enter one of her fun contests, The Puppy Dog Place will keep you "in the know" about the needs of your canine friends. 3.) Kelli Gaylor, Crafts Specialist: Kelli is our Christmas Contest judge whose artistic flair and life-long enthusiasm for crafts projects has led her to develop a website on the topic, aptly called www.Holiday-Crafts-and-Creations.com If you love crafts, you'll certainly want to check out her fun-filled site. You'll discover the cutest projects---all of them illustrated with photos so that you're sure to have success! Be sure to check out Kelli's site if you need some good ideas for fun, free designs...and return for Valentine's Day, Halloween and other holidays. Note: Thanks again to Thor Brisbin from www.ChristmasParadeBoats.com and Julie Borel from www.How-To-Arts-And-Crafts.com who helped judge this contest in 2008. 2010 Christmas Contest Submission Form:The submission period for the 2010 Christmas photo contest has not yet arrived! The first day to submit pictures will be Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, 2010. The contest's registration form will appear in this space on that day. Be sure to bookmark this page so you won't forget to enter your terrific Christmas pictures!Backwards links: Family-Vacation-Getaways.com HOME :: Latest News :: Privacy Policy :: Back to top of "Christmas Photo Contest" page
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