Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest {Kodak EasyShare Digital Picture Frame Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Mary!}

When I take photographs, I consider them good if both of my daughters are looking in the same general direction. If they happen to be smiling, well then, that's what I call great.

Clearly, I'm not a professional photographer.

But I do love to browse in amazement through pictures of people, nature, animals and much more to see what true talent really can capture. I think that being able to take a shot that truly represents a culture or the weather or makes an action really come to life is something that should be celebrated for all of its beauty.

And I'm not the only one. Right now Energizer and National Geographic have teamed up to show what photography greatness is all about... and, from the looks of the entrants in the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest, greatness comes in some incredible forms.

2009 winner (far left) and finalists. I didn't want to show any from 2010 to bias your opinion when you see them on the site.

Twelve photographers from across the country (out of more than 14,000 entries!) have been named Category Finalists in the 2010 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest. Now one step closer to being crowned the grand prize winner, it is up to the public to vote on your favorite photograph from each of the six categories: Animals/Wildlife, Nature, People/Cultures, Travel, Weather and Action/Energy.

From now through September 15, you can view the gallery of Category Finalists and see these incredible photographs for yourself, as well as vote for your favorites... although, for me, deciding between two amazing pictures in each category was quite difficult. The colors, the textures, the movement... let's just say that it was hard to tear my eyes away from each one.

With a record-breaking number of entrants this year, I can only imagine how long it must have taken to narrow the possibilities down to the top 12. In fact, I was so in awe of this year's finalists that I not only went back to see the top choices from 2009 but from 2008, the first year that Energizer and National Geographic teamed up for the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest.

The 2008 winner (at left) and one of the finalist shots

"We continue to be amazed at the quality of work that pours in through submissions to the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest," said Jim Olsen, Vice President of Marketing for Energizer North America." Our goal is to encourage everyone to enjoy the experience of capturing moments through photography, and we hope the long-lasting power and reliability of our Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries makes it a little easier to do just that."

What makes Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries the best AA and AAA batteries for digital cameras and other high-tech devices? As well as being proven to last up to 8x longer in digital cameras and up two 2x longer in flash units, Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries also offer more power for GPS devices, LED flashlights and handheld games.

Add all that to the fact that they are 33% lighter than alkaline batteries, have a 15-year storage life and perform well in extreme temperatures (from -40° to 140° F) and Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries are ideal for both professional and amateur photographers on the go.

So what are you waiting for? These pictures are gorgeous! Make your vote count by heading over to the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest and picking your favorites. Each of the Category Winners will receive an assortment of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries as part of a prize pack that also includes an EPIC Action Video Cam, Nikon COOLPIX L110 digital camera, Litepanels Micro camera light, Energizer Ultimate Lithium Headlight and two books from the National Geographic Collection.

Your votes will help determine the six Category Winners, which will then be judged by Jim Richardson, a skilled National Geographic photographer, who will determine the Grand Prize Winner. That lucky person will receive all of the above as well as a National Geographic Expedition for two to the Greek Isles accompanied by a National Geographic expert (wow!) and his or her photo in the pages of the magazine.

Pretty incredible, right? Well, Energizer didn't want to leave those of us who are happy with a snapshot of our smiling children out of the fun, so thanks to their generosity, one person will have an amazing way to display their favorite photographs, because...

One lucky person will win a Kodak EasyShare P730
Digital Picture Frame! ARV $89.95!

This frame is incredible! It features outstanding picture quality, room for up to 4,000 pictures, two built-in card readers, optional collage viewing, easy access and transfer of pictures and a motion sensor Quick Touch Border to keep fingerprints off of the screen! Very, very cool - find out more here!

To enter to win: Visit the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest and vote for your favorite photographs! Tell me the name of one photo that you especially like. Now that the contest is over, please visit the Weekly Gallery and tell me the name of one of the photographs there that you especially like.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Energizer on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook. For every Like in September, $1 will be donated to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation! 1 more Extra Entry if you leave the following message on their wall: I'm looking forward to seeing who wins the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest! Meanwhile, I entered to win a Kodak EasyShare Digital Frame at Thanks, Mail Carrier! http://bit.ly/9HfZVe
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a Kodak EasyShare Digital Frame ($90) & see the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/9HfZVe #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest. This must be done BEFORE September 15. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on October 1st at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

A big thank you to Energizer for providing information and four packs of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries for me as well as a Kodak EasyShare P730 Digital Picture Frame for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.