I think many groups are looking for work that follows a pre-existing template or formula. So, it's really a question of how well one works within template x, y or z. Since I don't work with a pre-existing template/formula, my work gets bounced a lot by groups. I also believe many groups prefer mediocrity.
Uh, one of my best pieces, the "alien autopsy"
[link] has less favorites than something I did as a joke, with bird shit landing on a ballerina's head:
[link]The irony is that people don't even see the bird shit, and just marvel at the faked ballerina under a sunrise. It was becoming so popular that I had to reveal that it was a photo-manipulation so more wouldn't be suckered into thinking it was a snap of a lifetime.
I prefer material that wasn't done with a generic formula and isn't mediocre. Uh, that's why I eventually made my own group, though I haven't had as much free time to work on it lately. And, most that generic photo-manipulation and ultra-refined expensive photography of meaningless subjects won't make it in.