2 pair of eyes + 1 photo = 2 very different views

I've written before on how each person brings their own experiences to mind when viewing a photo, so any two people seeing the exact same thing would be unusual. This is a good thing, unless the two pair of eyes must come to agreement on the photo in question. Judging photos is not simple because it involves more than just whether or not the picture appeals to you and has photographic merit; you must also consider the context in which you are selecting the winning entries - the audience for example. Guidelines and precedence have probably been set and these must be taken into consideration.