Need a videographer or photographer stat? Tired of amateur creatives knocking on your door? Then SmartShoot could be just the service that you're looking for. This website serves as marketplace that connects consumers and businesses with photographers and videographers.

Whether you're looking for someone to do your engagement photo shoot or need a video guy to film your company's ad, you won't go wrong with SmartShoot.

The site is still in its beta phase, but judging by the numbers, it looks like this new marketplace is here to stay. SmartShoot already has over 15,000 creative professionals in its network and has delivered more thas 53,884 photos and videos. Additionally, over $13 M has already been paid to network members, and over 5000 cities have already been shot in.

How It Works

Posting a project is free for individuals and businesses. Simply head to the site and describe what you need. You'll be asked to provide general information, such as the type of project, category, length, etc. but if you can, be sure add in more details to let the creatives know exactly what you're looking for.

Once the project is up, creative professionals can starting bidding on your project by submitting pitches and proposals.

You'll then need to select the professional that you want to hire. To narrow down your choices, you can view each professional's project history, work samples, and ratings.

Found the perfect person for the job? You can then start on the project, and even collaborate on SmartShoot's platform.

If you're a contractor who wants to be part of the SmartShoot network, simply create a free account with the site and get the ball rolling by bidding on projects and building your portfolio.

SmartShoot Advantages

SmartShoot definitely streamlines the process of finding and hiring creative professionals. In the old days, if you wanted to zero in on the right talent, you would have to either ask your network or turn to Google to try and find the people that you need. Then you'll have to review their websites / portfolios one by one, and then contact them individually to see if their services and pricing are right for you.

With SmartShoot though, all you need to do is put your project out there and wait for the right individuals to come knockin'. Yes, you will have to look at each bid individually, but since everything is done on SmartShoot's platform, you'll certainly go through the screening process in a more efficient manner.

The marketplace also makes hiring a breeze, as everything can be done within the site. Plus, you wouldn't have a hard time tracking your project's progress. SmartShoot gives you a dashboard to see how your project is doing and where its heading.

If you're thinking that SmartShoot is no different from Elance, Odesk, or other freelance websites... you would be wrong. The beauty of the service is that it's built specifically for photographers and videos. The marketplace is uncluttered and everything about it-from its layout to the wording used throughout the site was made with creative professionals in mind. That's the real beauty of this marketplace. And whether you're the client or the creative service provider, you'd be hard pressed to find another service that lets you zero in on what you need as efficiently as SmartShoot.