SmartShoot makes searching for photographers easier than ever
posted Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 2:41 PM EDT
When companies look to hire a photographer, there are a handful of logistical issues they must go through. Whether it’s a Fortune 500 cooperation or a small operation around the corner, there are few resources out there that help connect them with just the photographer they’re in need of.
Looking to change that is SmartShoot, a company who has built and is growing an online search engine of sorts for photographers and videographers. Founded in 2012, the San Francisco-based startup has worked hard to connect photography talent with some of the largest companies out there — BMW, Square, Airbnb, CBS, Google, Yelp and more. But it’s not only about the large companies — they help smaller operations find just the talent they need for projects.
SmartShoot’s website is aimed at those searching for talent, but if you’re looking to become part of the talent pool, you can register yourself as a creative and be put in the database. Once your account has been created, you create a free ‘PROfile’ which will house all of your information in addition to a small portfolio of your work for clients to browse through.
When potential clients seek out talent, they’re presented with a clever search engine that will narrow down photographers into their pre-defined genre of work. Action photography, food photography, sports photography, product photography, etc. – it’s all there. Not only does this help companies further refine who they’re looking to work with, but it ensures photographers will be paired up with companies who know ahead of time what sort of work is their niché.
As for the aforementioned logistical issues, SmartShoot handles all of that – scheduling, payment, delivery of final images and more. They’re essentially a middle-man for all the dirty work.
SmartShoot is by no means the first company to create a database of photography talent, but it’s one of the most thought-out and well-designed resources we’ve come across. Not only that, but the connections they’ve already established prove that they can handle work from the big guns and provide a substantial opportunity for photographers looking to get their name out there.
If you’re interested in joining the SmartShoot community, you can head on over to their website and sign up to become a creative.