Homegrown pumpkins are the way to go! We had lots of great big pumpkins this year, all free! (Proof that compost works!) Here are the jack-o-lanterns we carved. The headless horseman and cat are patterns from Pumpkin Masters, and the rest are original.
For the above photo effect, I set my camera on the kitchen table and took the shot on the no flash setting. For the one below, I used the setting that has a long time open shutter and also a flash. The setting usually has a bust and a star or moon.