Need a second shooter without the Instagram lottery.

Studio Mithra Marketplace lets studios browse verified freelancers by city and specialty, request a date, pay a deposit, and message in-app — phone numbers stay hidden until the job is real.

Key facts

What it is. Studio Mithra — photography studio CRM and business software for Indian photography studios hiring verified second shooters and freelance crew.
Built for. Indian photography studios hiring verified second shooters and freelance crew.
Primary jobs. Verified profiles · Deposit + calendar block · Sandboxed chat · Tied to the booking.
India-ready. Multi-event packages, GST-ready invoicing, UPI-era payments, WhatsApp-first lead capture.
How to start. Free to start, no credit card required. Start free · Pricing.

A hiring layer for Indian wedding weekends

Peak Saturday in Mumbai or Hyderabad, your lead photographer is booked, and you still need a second shooter who owns a 70-200 and shows up. Instagram DMs and “anyone free?” stories are how most studios still staff overflow. No deposit. No calendar lock. No paper trail.

The Marketplace is inside Studio Mithra — the same login that already holds the couple’s proposal. Browse by city and specialty, send a booking request with date and budget, and let the freelancer accept or decline. A deposit (default 25%) confirms the day. Contact details unlock near the event, not in the first message.

In-app chat strips phone numbers and emails until reveal, so both sides can plan without leaking personal contacts to every tyre-kicker. After the job, both rate. Repeat pairs can earn a lower platform commission.

This is not a generic “find a photographer” consumer app. Buyers are studios. Freelancers get a verification path. Super Admin reviews documents. Unverified profiles stay off the public grid.

From request to event-day contact

Request the date. Send event type, dates, and a budget. The freelancer accepts or declines.
Confirm with deposit. Pay the escrow deposit. Their calendar blocks. Status becomes confirmed.
Reveal and rate. Phone and email unlock near the shoot. Afterward both sides leave a rating.

Why Instagram hiring fails on Saturdays

No deposit, no show. Verbal yes on Thursday becomes radio silence on Friday night.
Contact spam. Your number is in five group chats before anyone books.
Unknown quality. Portfolio screenshots are not verification.
Double-booked talent. The same freelancer said yes to two studios.

Hiring with a state machine

Verified profiles. Public browse is gated to approved, active freelancers.
Deposit + calendar block. Confirmed jobs lock the date so you are not competing in DMs.
Sandboxed chat. Contact details stay hidden until the reveal window.
Tied to the booking. Hire against the same project you already sold the couple.

Built for Indian photography studios hiring verified second shooters and freelance crew. Explore all features · Pricing · Start free · Contact

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Is this a consumer “book a wedding photographer” site?

No. Buyers are studios hiring overflow crew. Couples still book you through your inquiry page and proposal — Marketplace is B2B staffing.

When do I see the freelancer’s phone number?

After deposit is paid and you are inside the event reveal window (typically 24 hours before through shortly after). Until then, chat is in-app and sanitised.

What does the platform charge?

Default commission is 12% (8% for repeat pairs after two completed jobs). Deposit percent is configurable in marketplace settings (default 25%).

How do freelancers get listed?

They create a profile and submit verification. Only approved + active profiles appear in public browse.