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📸 Candy’s 12 Days of Christmas: Day 12 – Photo Booth Mode! 🎄🎉

📸 Candy’s 12 Days of Christmas: Day 12 – Photo Booth Mode! 🎄🎉
Hello, my festive photographers!

Candy here, and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate.

We’ve arrived at the 12th Day of Christmas, and I’m thrilled to unwrap our biggest new feature of 2024—Photo Booth Mode in the Capture & Upload App!

The new NowCandid Capture & Upload App Version that includes Photo Booth Mode will be going live at the end of December,... this very month!

Let’s get into the holiday spirit and explore everything this mode has to offer. 🎁

What Is Photo Booth Mode? 🤶

Photo Booth Mode is a brand-new option inside our Capture & Upload App—you’ll see a shiny new “Photo Booth” button once you log in to an Event and create a Folder (after the update of course).

Give that Photo Booth button a tap, and voilà: your iPad turns into a photo booth station where guests can snap fun pictures with minimal hassle!

  • Multiple Camera Options: Tether a Nikon, Sony, or Canon camera, or use your iPad’s front-facing camera, depending on your particular photo booth setup.
  • Solid Internet Connection Required: The app downloads any custom overlays or backgrounds you’ve set on the web dashboard, and live-uploading images of course requires an internet connection, so stable Wi-Fi or LTE is essential!

It’s perfect for holiday parties, corporate shindigs, weddings, or any event where a lighthearted photo booth can bring on the smiles!

The Photo Booth Flow ⏱️

Here’s how Photo Booth Mode keeps your guests engaged:

  1. Tap to Begin Screen: A dimmed live view awaits guests to tap and start. Once they do, the booth will let them know to get ready for three photos.
  2. Three Countdown Shots: Each shot has a 3-second countdown followed by a short preview of the taken pic after each shot. If your event uses a Bottom Banner Overlay or Full Frame Overlay, it shows up in the live view, so no one ends up hidden behind the graphics!
  3. Instant Delivery & Overlays: In Events using the QuicPics Program, each photo is sent via MMS with the overlay art included! And with every NowCandid Program, a gallery link is delivered where retail site users can download images and order photo products.

Guests can hop in, pose, and receive fun, branded photos—no fuss required! 🎉

On-Device Backgrounds & Filters 🎨

Before finalizing those memorable pics, guests can personalize them right on the device:

  • Background Selection: If you’ve uploaded custom backgrounds on the web dashboard, the app fetches them before the booth session. Guests can pick from these in addition to several default backgrounds, great for holiday vibes or brand-specific themes.
  • Filter Options: Classic filters like Noir, Sepia, Clarendon, and others let participants get creative.
  • Reshoot Button: Not happy with the shot? Guests can “Reshoot” and start the session over at any time.

This ensures a lively, interactive experience that encourages guests to come back for more snaps. ⛄

Positive ID vs. Face Matching 🧐

After styling, the next step depends on your event’s workflow:

  • For Face Matching Events: Guests are guided to tap the faces they see on-screen, and then can enter contact info for each face! If this is their first or only reference photo for the Event, it will also match them to shots taken outside the Photo Booth!
  • For Positive ID Events: A simpler approach: participants just type in their contact info and send off the images! Easy peasy.

Either way, photos head straight to their phones via QuicPics (if you’re using that Program) and will always land in their personal gallery. 🔔

Seamless Integration with NowCandid 💖

Photo Booth Mode plugs right into your existing NowCandid features:

  • Selfie Check-In & LiveLoop: Photo booth images appear in your LiveLoop feed if you’re displaying one at the event. Selfie Check-Ins can still match participants to their booth photos too if they don't self-identify during their photo booth session!
  • QuicPics & PartyPics: The images upload instantly, letting your guests receive them right away via MMS (with QuicPics), or find them in their personal gallery for easy purchase or free download (with every Program).

It’s the same NowCandid ecosystem you know—just dressed up in a festive booth format! 🎄

Requirements & Limitations 🎅

A few notes to keep in mind:

  • Camera Orientation:
    • Nikon supports horizontal and vertical live view.
    • Sony/Canon currently only support horizontal orientation for tethered cameras.
  • iPad-Only for Now:
    • Photo Booth Mode works on iPad in vertical orientation, not on iPhone or Windows.
  • No Built-In Printing:
    • If you need on-site prints, consider setting up your own print station with a computer and a printer! Use quic.pics/portal to access your Event images, and then download images with or without overlays to print them on-site.
  • We Value Feedback:
    • Missing something? Let us know! Your input shapes our next updates.

Why Photo Booth Mode Is a Holiday Treat 🎁

  • Interactive & Fun: Guests love choosing backgrounds, filters, and overlays, making the booth a memorable attraction.
  • Fully Integrated: Works seamlessly with QuicPics, PartyPics, LiveLoop, Face Matching, and more.
  • Revenue & Engagement Boost: Branded overlays, holiday backgrounds, or sponsor tie-ins can lead to higher sales and delighted clients.

This mode is a surefire way to add a dash of cheer to any event—holiday-themed or otherwise! ✨

That’s all for now, folks.

We hope Photo Booth Mode adds a dash of magic to your season and beyond.

And thank you for following along with our 12 Days of Christmas!

Enjoy this new feature, and as always, keep capturing the moments that matter most.

Reminder: The new NowCandid Capture & Upload App Version that includes Photo Booth Mode will be going live at the end of December, this month!

Candy 🍬

Related articles

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Photo Release Features, Merged Participant Clarity & More!
Feature Updates
January 10, 2025

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Photo Release Features, Merged Participant Clarity & More!

5
 minutes read
Hello, my fabulous photographer friends!

Candy here, ready to sprinkle some sparkle on your day with our latest Weekly Recap! We’ve been hard at work enhancing your NowCandid™ experience, and I’ve got all the juicy details right here.

Let’s dive in!

1. Photo Releases & The New Image Release Gallery

Collecting Releases

Before using the pictures you take of your subjects in things like portfolios, websites, flyers, samples, and more - the best practice is to get a record of consent from your subjects before using photos of them for such things!

So... we've made some additions to NowCandid that will expedite this process for everyone involved!

  • Enabled via Retail Site Settings: Head to your Account Profile, open the “Retail Site Settings,” and toggle whether to ask participants for a photo release when they complete Selfie Check-In™.
  • Future Expansion: We plan to someday add this consent request to other locations in our Workflows, such as Scanner ID™ Check-Ins or after retail site checkout, so stay tuned!

Found under "Retail Site Settings" in your account profile

The post-Selfie Check-In messaging

Image Release Gallery

Once you’ve enabled Photo Releases, we’ve made viewing those fully released images a snap with the new Image Release Gallery!

  • Fully Released Photos Only: This gallery shows images where every primary face in the picture has opted in for marketing use.
  • Opt-Out Procedures: If someone changes their mind, NowCandid™ support can remove their release, and those images will disappear from the gallery.
  • Easier Marketing & Inspiration: Enjoy a reliable stash of images for portfolios, websites, flyers, or sample products, all with peace of mind!

This major addition simplifies the entire release process and keeps your marketing efforts on the right side of consent!

Starting next week, this feature will be enabled by default for all NowCandid accounts! If you wish to disable it, that's up to you!

An example of some images with only released faces in the new Image Release Gallery

2. Improved Merged Participants Clarity

We have also improved the photographer's experience and clarity when it comes to Merged Participants!

  • Multiple Names, One Contact: When two or more participants share a phone number, they now visibly merge under one participant in the Participant Manager, with all names separated by commas.
  • Reduced Confusion: Parents with multiple kids at an event won’t be an enigma anymore. You’ll see each kid’s name instead of a single ambiguous participant.
  • Same Smooth Experience for Families: Consumers won’t notice much change, but you’ll breathe easier knowing your records more clearly show who’s who.

No more wondering why two kids keep “replacing” each other in the backend—our improved merging UI has your back!

Example of multiple merged participants wrapped into one participant

3. Group Photo Filter in Manage Images

  • Just Group Photos: We’ve added a toggle to the Manage Images page that shows only images flagged as “Group Photos.”
  • Sports & GroupTags™: Perfect for organizing big team shots or verifying no single-person images slipped in by accident.
  • Future Tweaks Coming: We’re cooking up more ways to polish Group Photo and GroupTags™ functionalities, so watch this space!

If you handle big groups (like sports teams or large gatherings), this quick filter simplifies your event workflow.

New toggle button to switch between showing All Images and just Group Photos

4. All Images Gallery Pagination

  • Page-by-Page Browsing: We replaced the endless scroll in the NowCandid™ retail site’s All Images Gallery with a paginated view—complete with arrows to move between pages.
  • Jump to Page: Customers can type or select a page number if they already know where to look.
  • Less Scrolling, More Finding: Makes returning to a specific photo (especially one not in a personal gallery) a breeze.

This update ensures customers spend less time hunting and more time admiring—or purchasing—the images they love.

New retail site page navigation tools

5. New Events List Filter

One last small addition to mention... we added a way to filter down your Events list!

This should make it easier than ever to browse through your upcoming Events as you plan and prepare for them.

New Events list filter options

That’s it for this week’s recap!

We hope these changes help you manage your events more smoothly, give you extra confidence in your marketing, and offer your customers a cleaner, faster photo-browsing experience.

As always, we love your feedback, so feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions.

Thank you for being an essential part of the NowCandid™ community. Keep capturing those unforgettable moments and creating smiles! 📸✨

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Overlay Artwork in the Product Gallery 🎨✨
Feature Updates
January 3, 2025

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Overlay Artwork in the Product Gallery 🎨✨

2
 minutes read
Hello again, my wonderful photographers!

Candy here, and welcome to another Weekly Recap. This time, we’ve got one exciting improvement to share—overlay artwork now appears by default on product previews in the product gallery!

Let’s take a closer look. 🌟

Overlays Rendered by Default in Product Gallery 🎉

We’ve introduced a fun change for anyone using Banner Overlays or Full Frame Overlays in their NowCandid Events:

  • Visible Overlay Art

    Items in the retail site’s product gallery will now display your Event’s overlay artwork right away. Customers can see exactly how their images look on each product, with that extra creative touch of your Event's Overlay Art.

Theme: Marshmallow - Watermarking: Heavy

Theme: Liquourice - Watermarking: None

  • Use Overlay by Default

    When customers go to customize or add a product to their cart, the “Use Overlay” option will already be selected. This makes it simpler to highlight your unique event designs or branding. But they can still view & order the product without the overlay art.
  • Easy Toggle in Settings

    If you prefer to keep products overlay-free by default, no worries! Head to the “Retail Site Settings” in your Profile and uncheck “Use Artwork By Default.” That way, product images will display without your Event overlay art unless customers choose otherwise.

Find this option in your Profile settings

Enabling Use Artwork By Default will feature your Event's Overlay Art on the renders in the product gallery page. Guests can choose to view and order products without the art, but "with overlay art" will be the default selection.

That’s all for this week’s short-and-sweet recap!

We hope this feature adds a little extra flair to your retail experience.

As always, let us know what you think or if you have any feedback.

Candy 🍬

Big News: Introducing Photo Booth Mode in iOS Capture & Upload App 4.13! 🎉
Feature Updates
December 30, 2024

Big News: Introducing Photo Booth Mode in iOS Capture & Upload App 4.13! 🎉

6
 minutes read
Hello, my wonderful photographers!

Candy here with exciting news for you on this festive Monday. We’re launching Capture & Upload App Version 4.13, and it comes with a massive new feature: Photo Booth Mode.

Let’s dive into what it is, how it works, and why we think you’ll love adding it to your events!

What Is Photo Booth Mode? 🤳

Photo Booth Mode is a brand-new option inside the Capture & Upload App (Version 4.13 on iPad). When you log in to your Event, you’ll see a shiny new “Photo Booth” button alongside the usual options.

Tap that button, and your iPad transforms into a fun, self-serve photo booth station, perfect for:

  • Weddings & Parties: Encourage guests to capture memorable group shots and instantly send them to their phones.
  • Sports & Corporate Events: Provide interactive experiences that keep people engaged and excited.
  • Holiday Gatherings: Add some festivity and help guests create themed keepsakes right on the spot.

Whether you tether a Nikon, Sony, or Canon camera or just use the iPad’s built-in camera, Photo Booth Mode gives you a convenient, autonomous way to let guests take pictures without any manual work from you (aside from set up and takedown of course).

How It Works ⚙️

  1. Tap to Begin Screen
    • Guests see a dimmed live view with “Tap to Begin.” Once tapped, the booth takes three pictures in quick succession, each with its own 3-second countdown.
  2. Real-Time Overlays
    • If your event has Bottom Banner Overlays or Full Frame Overlays, they appear in the live view. This lets guests see exactly where the art will sit, so no one’s face gets covered.
  3. On-Device Styling
    • Background Removal & Custom Backgrounds: If you’ve uploaded backgrounds for your event, they’ll be available for selection.
    • Filters: Guests can apply classic filters like Noir, Sepia, or Clarendon before sending off their images.
    • Reshoot: Not happy with a pose? Subjects can tap “Reshoot” and start over, easy-peasy.
  4. Instant Delivery
    • Both QuicPics or PartyPics Workflows deliver images in real time:
    • If it’s QuicPics, your subjects will get the image files directly via MMS, with Overlay Art applied, if your Event has any. They'll also receive a link to their personal gallery. Reminder, with QuicPics we charge a small fee per uploaded image.
    • It it's PartyPics or any of our other Programs, your subjects will only receive a link to their personal gallery. And there is no additional charge or fee.
    • When visiting their personal gallery, they can buy prints & downloads of these images with various product & customization options.
  5. Positive ID vs. Face Matching
    • Face Matching: Prompts appear to tap faces, then gather contact info for those individuals.
    • Positive ID: Participants just enter their info before sending images, no face-tapping required.

All images are uploaded to your NowCandid Event like normal, so no matter your usual Workflow, things will still function seamlessly!

Key Requirements & Limitations ⚠️

  • Camera Orientation
    • Nikon cameras support both horizontal and vertical orientation.
    • Sony and Canon are currently limited to horizontal orientation.
  • iPad-Only Launch
    • Photo Booth Mode works on iPad (and only in vertical orientation), not on iPhone or Windows at this time.
  • No Built-In Strip Printing
    • If you need to provide prints, set up a separate print station and use quic.pics/portal to download images with or without Event Overlay Art and print them on-the-spot!
  • Strong Internet Connection
    • Ensure your iPad has solid Wi-Fi or LTE, as the app needs to log into the event, download overlays/backgrounds, and upload images in real time.

Why You’ll Love Photo Booth Mode ❤️

  1. Interactive Fun

    Guests choose their own backgrounds, overlays, and filters, creating a memorable activity at any gathering.
  2. Seamless Feature Integration

    Images will show up in LiveLoop slideshows, appear alongside subject's other images in Personal Galleries, be managed using NowCandid's typical image and participant management tools, and more!
  3. Seamless Workflow Integration

    The images flow right into your existing event Workflows—Tap-A-Face, Selfie Check-In, Type & Take, and more—without any additional setup.
  4. Effortless Setup

    Whether you opt for a tethered DSLR or the iPad camera, it’s a simple tap away in Capture & Upload App 4.13.

Download Capture & Upload App 4.13 Today! 📱

With Version 4.13 now live for iPad (iOS only at the moment), you can start offering Photo Booth Mode at your next event.

We’ve tested it extensively, but with so many different devices and use cases out there, we encourage you to try it out ASAP.

If you spot any quirks, let us know, and we’ll work on improvements swiftly.

Thank you for joining us in this Big News blog post.

We can’t wait to hear your success stories with Photo Booth Mode!

Candy 🍬

Let’s get in touch

If you’re a photographer looking to add NowCandid services to your wheelhouse – set up a call by clicking the button below.

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How to customize formatting for each rich text

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