You may remember our first announcement on December the 9th about the new Sonoran Resorts “Why I Love Rocky Point” Photo Contest and that it would begin today, Monday January 2nd to kick off 2012 with excitement.
Well, fellow clickers and snappers, just visit www.sonoranresorts.mx or www.whyiloverockypoint.com where you can find all the detailed rules and instructions to begin uploading up to 3 of your favorite shots that best describe why you love Rocky Point. You can even give a description of the photo to further share your love of our beautiful seaside pueblo.
Before you head over to either of the above sites, though, it’s worthwhile to address all you amateur photographers out there, especially you who may be thinking that you probably don’t have a chance to win a contest like this because it is open to all photographers—amateur and professional alike. 
First, you need to know that this is not your ordinary photo contest. First of all, it is free to enter and you can enter up to 3 photos; it is free to vote and voting is open to everyone, whether they enter a photo in the contest or not. So you have nothing to lose!
Anyone 18 years of age or older (within the rules detailed on the website) can enter up to 3 photos portraying your own reason to describe “Why I Love Rocky Point” between January 2, 2012 and February 29, 2012. The photos can be of almost anything that you love about our beautiful and diverse seaside destination.
Second, the first place prize is $1,000 U.S. dollars, plus 2 VIP tickets to the 2nd Annual Peñasco Palooza Concert over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, plus 2 nights in a luxury Oceanfront Condo at one of the Sonoran Resorts. There will also be some great 2nd and 3rd place prizes!
Third, and maybe the most important reason to enter is because everyone can vote and they can vote on every photo one time. Let us explain how this is the Great Equalizer for amateurs vs. professionals: 
Voters will rate each photo (or as many as they want to rate) based on the 5 Star system, with 5 stars being the best. Each voter can vote on every photo, but can only cast one vote per photo, whether it is one star or 5 stars; just one vote is allowed per photo.
Here is the twist on our contest that is different from traditional contests. We call it the Great Equalizer for amateur photographers. The photo with the most total stars will win. This way a photo with less stars per vote but with many more votes, could still win! An early entry with a lot of votes, even with fewer stars, can compete with a later entry with less votes but a higher number of stars. For example a photo with 5 votes of 5 stars each equals 25 votes (or total stars) and a photo with 20 votes of 2 stars each equals 40 votes (or total stars).
Too many professional photographers win amateur contests. In our contest, any photo has a chance to win based on the participation of the contestant and how actively the contestant promotes to his or her family and friends to vote.
Since everyone can vote, including the contestant, this means you can ask everybody you know to vote on your photo—everyone in your contact list, your friends and “likes” on twitter and facebook, your family members, ask them to tell their friends and contacts to vote on your photos, making sure they give yours 5 stars. Put it on the bulletin board at work, post it on Craigslist…well, you get the picture, right? In the end, the winner will be determined by public activity and opinion based on their online votes with the most total number of stars assigned.
Voting will be open to everyone on the same two websites from today, January 2, 2012 until midnight March 7, 2012.
The complete contest description and rules are posted on either of the above websites. Please join in to show everyone “Why I Love Rocky Point” by either submitting photos or voting in the contest. Or, if you just want to watch on the sidelines, that’s OK too.
You can click on “Photo Contest” at the top of this web page to get to the contest site.
Hope to see your photos in the contest soon!
This blog is brought to you by the Sonoran Sales Group, Jim Ringquist, Director of Sales.