It's a good site to learn i suppose - there are a lot of people in there willing to help, and posting something in the forum saying "if i wanted to do ____ to this image how would i go about doing it?" The resources section isnt extensive but there are some good universal techniques showcased, such as how to make cables/wires like in the above image (it was entered into another contest titled "scary signs" and later i asked how to put the cables like that and someone directed me to a tutorial on how to do it )

One thing that annoyed me about the competitions is that they dont take just your technical skill into account you have to have something really creative:  the glass and ruler shot didnt place in the top 3 of a competition because it was "boring"... they arent looking for photorealism on its own - they want a "wow" factor in their competitions.

"In every colour, there's the light.
In every stone sleeps a crystal.
Remember the Shaman, when he used to say:
Man is the dream of the Dolphin"

Rich Meadows Photography