Re the first link:

Too Much Photoshop?  Could be Photoshop™ and or some of the detail, saturation, contrast enhancing pseudo HDR software at use here.  I for one see the images as way too overworked, two moreso than a third one.  You see the same sort of postwork here but in my opinion done with better taste.

The photos are not pleasing to me at all, regardless of subject matter.  Yet, I cannot say the scenes shown are altered in content, only in digital garishness of that subject matter.

I believe the jury does need to clarify its guidelines even more or admit choices are made on personal likes and dislikes, something not easily defined.