I was lucky enough to have a quiet chat with Dr. Malin last weekend about what he looks for in an award winning image.
In the interests of fair play and giving back some of what I've learned from everyone here, I'll share his remarks.
He said first and foremost it has to have aesthetic appeal.
After that then the technical details come into play, star colours, natural look etc.
Above all the author must respect the light, ie: it must be seen to emanate from the light source.
Takes him a full week to judge the awards.
By his own admission, it's highly subjective!
I found him to be insightful, pleasant and very generous with his time and knowledge. Was a priviledge to have met him
Better start planning next years' entries!
Cheers
Andy