Competitions and Winning

I am a serious and dedicated non-professional photographer. Most of what I do is based on photography.  Recently I entered a local competition, called " In Focus. " I was fortunate to get four (above) of my six entries accepted into the show.  About 400 people submitted images and only 180 or so were hung.  I consider it winning each time I get an image into any show.  Actually winning an award is "icing on the cake." In this case, I was happy to hear that I had won two awards for a leaf image and a frog image.  A second place award in two different categories.  I like to win awards because it is a verification that I am continuing to learn and grow in photography and it shows in my work.  Being acknowledged for my photography work is what counts for me.  I was curious, however, about why the young girl was not considered for an award as I thought the image was very well done.  I asked the judge at the reception why the image was "not compelling enough for an award."  His response was a bit of a surprise to me; he asked me if I had "more images like this" and said it reminded him of Grant Wood's American Gothic couple (although he could not remember the artist who created the image).  I was confused and not sure how to answer him as the shot was taken from a plaza in Cuba and was not set up.  I gathered that he thought I had set up the shot and perhaps I had more from that shoot.  This young girl really was dressed this way and really did open a door and stand in it with her broom.  Within a few minutes of photographing her a police officer shooed us away and told her to go inside.  This conversation confirmed for me that judges "judge" blindly in more than one way.  I think they often look at a photograph during judging and make assumptions that are not correct and then judge on the incorrect assumption.  I guess I should be flattered in a way as the image he was referring to is considered famous and has risen to the statue of a "cultural  icon."   For me, the image is a once-in-a-lifetime image and it is now saved for eternity (or as long as I live anyway!).