Interesting discussion going on at Dreamstime!
A photographer asked why their downloads were declining and the thread was removed. After complaining the thread was reposted.
Achilles answered with this message.
[Quoted Message:
I am losing database exposure, I am far from being a pro and my skills are lower and lower compared to the average Dreamstime photographer nowadays, etc. My downloads/image continue to decrease as better content is submitted by other members. The quality of the database keeps on growing. Rjmiz depicted very well the need to shoot better and more in one of his recent threads. It's not the agency that has to pick up the sales for you, it is your portfolio that must pick up the buyers. And there is no better bribe than great stock in huge amounts
One year or two ago you needed over 1,000 images to enter the Top 10 contributors, right now you need 5,000 images. It's all about competition and not about less downloads at database level. We break new records each day and far from seeing any sign of stagnation but these are factors an amateur photographer should be aware of. ]