Submissions are closed, the photos are in, and now it is your turn. Voting is open in the People’s Choice category of the 2026 LSLAA Photo Contest — year three of the contest, and one of our best fields yet.

nine photographers submitted this year, from sunrises and storm fronts to a very good day on the pontoon. Every one of them was taken on or around Little Sand Lake.

Voting closes Saturday 12 September at 6:00pm. After that the photos stay up, but the ratings close and the winner is announced.

How voting works

  • Click Start voting, or any photo, to open it full screen.
  • Give it 1 to 5 stars, and it moves straight on to the next one.
  • Rate all ten, add your email, and press Send my vote.
  • We will email you a link. Your ratings are not counted until you click it.
  • One vote per email address. Anyone may vote — you do not need to be an LSLAA member.

Why we ask for your email address

We know nobody enjoys handing over an email address, so here is exactly why we ask and exactly what happens to it.

It keeps the contest fair. These are our neighbours’ photographs, and a few of these will be decided by a whisker. Without some way of telling one voter from another, a single person could rate their own photo five stars a hundred times in an afternoon and nobody would ever know. One vote per email address is the simplest way we have found to stop that.

Confirming proves the address is real. This is the part people ask about most. If we simply counted whatever was typed into the box, anyone could invent a hundred addresses and vote a hundred times — so the address alone proves nothing. Sending a link and waiting for you to click it is what makes it count: a made-up address never receives the email, so it never becomes a vote. It costs you one extra click and it is the difference between a real result and a guess.

What we do with it: nothing else. You will not be added to a newsletter or a mailing list. We will not share or sell it. The single confirmation link is the only email you will ever receive from the photo contest. The list of addresses that voted is visible only to the LSLAA committee members running the contest, so we can check the result adds up.

If the link has not arrived after a few minutes, please check your spam folder — that is where it usually is. If it still has not turned up, tell us through our support form and we will make sure your vote is counted.

People’s Choice and the judged awards

People’s Choice is decided entirely by your ratings, across all ten photos together as one open field. Because everyone rates the whole set, the averages are a fair comparison. Separately, a panel of judges scores the photos in two age categories, so our younger photographers are judged against each other rather than against the grown-ups. Those results are announced alongside the People’s Choice winner.

Rate the photos

Remember: your vote only counts once you click the link we email you, and voting closes Saturday 12 September at 6:00pm.

Voting closes 12 September 2026 at 6:00pm.

How to vote

  1. Click Start voting, or any photo below.
  2. The photo opens full screen. Give it 1 to 5 stars — click a star, or press the 15 keys.
  3. It moves straight on to the next photo you have not rated yet.
  4. When every photo has a rating, add your email and send your vote.

Please rate every photo. Everyone rating the whole set is what makes the averages a fair comparison. Use to move between photos and Esc to close at any time — your ratings are kept as you go.

Rated 0 of 9 photos

#1 Happy 250thTaken on the 4th of July, Little Sand Lake lit up in Red, White, and Blue
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#2 Sunny Set UpFire red sunset!
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#3 Walking on waterStanding on Little Sand Lake enjoying what we got
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#4 Our Happy PlaceA perfect night for a fire on Little Sand.
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#5 Happy Birthday, America!Taken from our dock as we enjoyed the numerous fireworks displays around the lake! It was quite a treat on such a beautiful evening!🇺🇸🎆🎂
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#6 Sunset BrushstrokesPainted, sunset skies never disappoint on LSL!
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#7 Full Moon from the PontoonPhoto taken from the lake as moon coming up,
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#8 Lightning!Lightning bolt — photo by Liam O’Neill (grandson) Liam is a student at Occidental College in Los Angeles, currently studying in Ecuador. He has given me permission to submit this photo, and understands it may be used by LSLAA.
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding
#9 SwansBabies Swans following Mama
Your score
1 = not for me  ·  5 = outstanding

Why we ask for your email address

So the contest is fair. Without it, one person could vote for their own photo a hundred times and nobody would know.

  • One vote per address. That is the whole point — it keeps the result honest.
  • You have to confirm it. We send you a link, and your vote is only counted once you click it. That step is what stops someone stuffing the ballot with addresses that do not exist — a made-up address never receives the link, so it never votes.
  • We do not add you to anything. No newsletter, no mailing list, no sharing it with anyone. The only email we send is the one confirmation link.
  • Who can see it. The addresses that voted are visible to the LSLAA committee running the contest, so we can check the result. Nobody else.

Check your spam folder if the link does not arrive within a few minutes. Any trouble at all, use our support form and we will sort it out.

We will email you a link. Your vote is only counted once you click it.


As always, every entry fee goes straight to our AIS fund, which pays for monitoring and preventing the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species on Little Sand Lake. Thank you to everyone who entered, and to everyone who takes a minute to vote.