Light a small candle and place it inside the pumpkin. Votive candles in glass candle holders are a pretty safe bet. Plain white candles will give off the most light. If you replace the lid while lit, a blackened area will form inside the top of the pumpkin. You can cut a 1 or 2 inch hole in that blackened area to act as a vent to allow heat and smoke to escape.

Preserving Tips:

Once carved, a jack-o-lantern doesn't last more than a few days before starting to dry out and shrivel up. Coat the cut edges with a generous layer of petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) or white glue. Use your finger on large openings and a cotton swab to coat the tiny openings. This helps seal in the pumpkin's moisture, extending its life to a week or more. You can also store a jack-o-lantern in the fridge when not on display and soak a dried out pumpkin in water to bring it back to life. But you can spare yourself some of that trouble by carving as close to Halloween as possible.

Photography Tips:

Light your jack-o-lantern and turn out any other lights. A camera's flash will over-light the surface of the pumpkin and you won't be able to see the glow from inside. So turn off the flash (or just cover it if your camera is auto-flash only). Since you aren't using flash, you'll need to hold the camera very steady (a tripod would be ideal). A photo taken this way will show only the carved design. If you want to see the outside of the pumpkin as well, illuminate it with an indirect light (dim lamp or candles), or photograph outside at dusk.

Misc. Tips:

Things you can add to your add to your pumpkins to make them more original are twigs and branches and other plants. Put them into the top of your pumpkins to make hair or just as a creepy addition.

Paint your pumpkins for ultimate lighting effects.

Use different items to to carve your jack-o-lantern out of such as green peppers, squashes and gourds.

For a nice fall centerpiece, scoop a pumpkin and place inside a small vase with flowers of the season.