HomeNavigation arrowBlogNavigation arrow
Current page
Success Stories

How One Louisiana Team Keeps Setting the Bar for Military Ball Photography Success

How One Louisiana Team Keeps Setting the Bar for Military Ball Photography Success
When it comes to military ball events, our incredible NowCandid users out of Louisiana have done it again!

Building on their previous years of success, they’ve once again showcased how profitable and rewarding these events can be with the right tools, strategy, and dedication.

Consistency & Growth in 2024

Despite a slight decrease in event participants/attendance in 2024 compared to the previous year, this Louisiana team managed to match their impressive ~$26,000 sales total from 2023—and they didn’t stop there. They also improved their sales per image and sales per participant averages, proving that even with fewer attendees, their ability to deliver value remains unparalleled.

This is the kind of consistency and adaptability that defines true professionals. Even more remarkable is their journey to this point.

The Journey: From 2022 to 2024

It’s worth revisiting their story. Back in 2022, this team had just started using NowCandid—trained on the system the week of their first military ball event. Despite being completely new to the platform and working under tight deadlines, they pulled in an impressive $16,000 in sales. While those numbers didn’t quite hit the heights of their 2023 and 2024 totals, it was a strong foundation for what was to come.

For their 2023 and 2024 events, they doubled down on preparation and team strategy, hiring additional staff to support their photographers and improve operational efficiency.

One of the key moves was more actively promoting selfie check-ins, which not only enhanced the customer experience but also increased the number of photos taken—a direct driver of sales. These refinements pushed them to over $26,000 in sales in 2023 and another stellar year in 2024.

Looking Ahead to 2025

With the new Web Dashboard at their fingertips, the Louisiana team is already preparing to take their 2025 military ball to new heights. The Web Dashboard will unlock features that are sure to impress attendees and drive even greater sales:

  • More Art Overlay Options: Customize event images with exciting designs that attendees will love.
  • All-New Retail Site: A sleek, user-friendly interface for clients to browse and purchase their images.
  • Upsell Opportunities: Introduce premium options like retouching and diamond gloss print coating to enhance the final product and boost sales.

Armed with these enhancements, they’re aiming for even bigger successes in 2025—and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish.

Military Balls: A Goldmine for Photographers

This Louisiana team’s story is a shining example of how profitable military ball events can be. With strategic planning, the right tools, and a little effort, these events can bring in tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.

If there are military bases in or near your area, we strongly encourage you to seek out these opportunities. Partnering with military organizations for formal events is not only rewarding financially but also a chance to build lasting relationships with a highly engaged audience.

Tips for Success

  • Invest in Support Staff: Extra hands help keep the process smooth, from organizing attendees to encouraging selfie check-ins.
  • Leverage NowCandid Tools: Our workflows, like Selfie Check-In and advanced offers, make events efficient and client-focused.
  • Upsell Smartly: Use premium options like overlays, retouching, and print upgrades to maximize your per-participant revenue.
  • Engage Participants Early: Drive excitement and ensure attendees know how to access their photos before and after the event.

Ready to Capture More Success?

Military ball events are a prime opportunity to elevate your business, and NowCandid is here to support you every step of the way. If this story inspires you to explore similar opportunities, don’t hesitate to reach out or dive into your local market to find events like these.

Here’s to making 2025 your most successful year yet! 🎉

Related articles

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Simple Check-In™, New Products Report, and Lots More ✨
Feature Updates
February 7, 2025

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Simple Check-In™, New Products Report, and Lots More ✨

9
 minutes read
Hello, my fabulous photographers!

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’m thrilled to share all the juicy new features. Let’s dive in!

1. Simple Check-In™ for Positive ID Events 🤳

We’re introducing a brand-new way to make your Name Lookup and Scanner ID™ Workflows even smoother:

  • Single QR Code: Print just one QR code for the entire event. Participants scan it, enter their name and contact info, and a “blank” participant is instantly created—no selfie required.
  • Photographer & Wallet Benefits: Photographers can now quickly search by name if the event uses Name Lookup, or if the participant adds the pass to Apple Wallet (Google Wallet coming very soon), you can scan them later for Scanner ID™.
  • No More Bulk Scan Cards: Skip printing individual codes for everyone—one event code can do it all!

Scan Cards are still great in many situations, so this isn't a replacement - just an addition! Something to make the Name Lookup & Scanner IDWorkflows even more flexible!

Accessible by clicking the QR code within a Positive ID Event's Management Page

2. New Products Report 📈

We’ve introduced a new Products Report on your NowCandid™ web dashboard:

  • Most-Purchased & Highest-Revenue Products: See which items or packages your clients love most.
  • Standard Filters: Use the same powerful search options you know—by event, date range, program type, Event Tag, and more.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Identify your top performing items and make more informed Custom Offer adjustments!

If you’ve been curious which prints, downloads, or merch are hot, this is your new go-to spot!

Accessible from the Home tab of the web dashboard

3. Image Management Additions:

Multi-Select Enhancements 🛠️

We’ve expanded multi-select capabilities in Manage Images to handle even more tasks at once:

  • GroupTags: Now you can edit or remove GroupTags™ for all selected images simultaneously.
  • Select All Visible: Quickly grab every image on the current page to speed up those bulk actions.

Accessible using the multi-select button within an Event's Manage Images page

New Folder-Wide Options 📂

We also added a new Edit Folder button when a folder is selected:

  • Change Folder Visibility: Toggle an entire folder’s images between visible or invisible.
  • Group Status: Mark them as Group Photos or individual images in one go.
  • GroupTag: Apply the same GroupTag™ to every image in the folder—super handy for sorting large event albums.

Mass management, simplified!

Accessible using the Edit Folder button within an Event's Manage Images page

4. Face Matching™ Formula Switch 🧩

We added a new toggle in Edit Event to adjust how strict or lenient our Face Matching™ algorithm is:

  • Stricter Matching for Kids: If you’re dealing with lots of little ones who keep popping up in the wrong gallery, flip this switch for fewer “extra” matches.
  • Default Remains Flexible: Our usual method still works great for most events. If needed, you can always manually unassign images from a participant in the dashboard.

Less confusion, more accurate galleries—everyone wins!

Accessible when editing a Face Matching type Event

5. Manage Images: New Filter Menu 🖼️

We’ve reorganized the Manage Images page with a dedicated menu for filters:

  • Cleaned-Up UI: Too many filters were crowding the page; now they’re in one easy-to-access spot.
  • Clear Active Filters: It’s easier to see what’s on and what’s off, plus you can remove filters with a single click.

Navigating your images should feel more intuitive and less cluttered than before.

Accessible using the Filters button within an Event's Manage Images page

6. Image Timeline Screenshot Download ⏱️

Our Image Timeline feature now has a handy Download Screenshot button:

  • Quick Sharing: Snap a chart of your shooting pace or AI analysis and send it to your photographers or team.
  • Easy Feedback: Show them exactly where the busy or slow spots were without extra steps.

A small detail that can make a big difference for team communication.

Accessible using the Camera-icon button on an Event's Image Timeline page

7. Event Tag Add Popup Improvements 🏷️

When adding events to a tag from the Event Tags page:

  • Select Multiple Events at Once: No need to add them one by one.
  • Filtered Display: It only shows events that don’t already have that tag, saving clicks and confusion.

A quicker way to keep your events organized and ready for deeper insights.

Accessible using the Add Events to Tag button on the Event Tags page of the Web Dashboard

8. Marketing Tweak: Day0 with Group-Only Galleries ✉️

If a participant’s personal gallery only contains Group Photos, Day0 marketing won’t trigger:

  • Fewer Unnecessary Texts/Emails: Prevents those “here’s your gallery!” messages when there’s not much for them to see yet.
  • Smarter Outreach: Focus your marketing on participants who have individual images waiting.

This slight change can tidy up the user experience for your SportsPics™ or GradPics™ events.

9. Capture App 4.13.71 (iOS Only) 🍏

Some app updates for iPhone/iPad users:

  • iPad UI Fix: Addresses a bug when launching in portrait mode.
  • Photo Booth Mode Backgrounds: Hidden on iPads running iOS < 17.
  • Event Number: Now appears next to the event name, so you’re less likely to shoot under the wrong event.
  • Volume Trigger Fix: The internal camera capture now works again for devices that had issues after recent iOS changes—great news for those using volume-based triggers!

That’s it for this Weekly Recap!

We hope these upgrades help you handle your events faster, deliver better experiences to your clients, and keep the momentum going all year long.

As always, let us know if you have any questions, ideas, or just want to say hi.

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Did You Know? NowCandid™ Offers Retail Background Generation! ✨
NowCandid 101
February 5, 2025

Did You Know? NowCandid™ Offers Retail Background Generation! ✨

2
 minutes read
Hello, fabulous photographers!

Candy here, bringing you another “Did You Know?” feature highlight. Today’s spotlight is on a super-fun (and sometimes overlooked) part of our NowCandid™ retail site: AI-Generated Backgrounds for background-removed images. Let’s dive in!

AI Background Generation

When customers view or customize their images that have had their backgrounds removed, they’ll see an option inviting them to type in a text description of what they want behind them. Maybe it’s a colorful beach scene, a dreamy sunset, a whimsical forest—whatever the imagination conjures up! Our site will generate a fresh design tailored to that text prompt, giving them a truly unique final product.

Why It Matters

  • Personalized Shopping Experience: No two images look the same when customers can request different scenes. It’s perfect for capturing each individual’s tastes and vibes.
  • Boosts Sales: The novelty factor of typing in a text prompt and watching a new background appear can encourage customers to experiment—and buy more customized images.
  • Booking Tool: Using this feature as a sales tool to help you book parties, sports leagues, or anything else can be a way to get a gatekeeper's attention!

How It Works

  1. Choose a Background-Removed Image: When browsing the NowCandid™ retail site, customers click on an image that’s had its background removed.
  2. Enter a Text Prompt: A simple text field awaits—“sunset on a calm lake,” “abstract rainbow swirl,” “comic book city,” etc.
  3. Watch It Appear: The site blends the subject with the newly generated backdrop. Customers can finalize it right there, or try another prompt until they’re happy.

Retail Theme: Liquorice

That’s your little “Did You Know?” tip for today!

We hope you’ll tell your clients about this magical customization option—it might spark new ideas (and more sales!) for their photos.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, let us know.Until next time, keep capturing those unforgettable moments! ✨

Cheers and sparkles,


Candy 🍬

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Multi-Select, Event Tags & More! ✨
Feature Updates
January 24, 2025

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Multi-Select, Event Tags & More! ✨

9
 minutes read
Hello, my fabulous photographers!

Candy here, ready to sprinkle some sparkle on your day with our newest Weekly Recap. We’ve been hard at work improving your NowCandid™ experience, and I’m excited to share all the juicy details. Let’s dive in!

1. Select System in Manage Images 🖼️

We’re introducing a Multi-Select feature to the Manage Images interface:

  • Multi-Select Button: Highlight multiple images at once.
  • Bulk Actions: After choosing your set, tap “Select” at the bottom. You can:
    • Mark them Invisible or Visible
    • Download them all in a single zip file
    • Toggle them as Group Photos or Individual all at once
  • Speedy Management: No more one-by-one adjustments. This should help you power through large batches of images in a fraction of the time!

2. Event Tags 🏷️

There’s a brand-new Extras tab in the Web Dashboard navigation, featuring our new Event Tags tool:

  • Creating Tags: Assign tags to your events (e.g., “Prom,” “Winter Formal,” etc.).
  • Filtering by Tag: On the Events List or in your Events Report, choose an Event Tag to instantly see only those events.
  • Performance Insights: Group your events by theme and get a quick view of how each set is performing all at once.

Tagging is perfect for photographers juggling multiple event types, letting you spot patterns and trends with ease.

Just two Events on this Event tag, but you can add lots!

3. Updates to the Faces Report 👥

Our Faces Report—released last week—has already received some polish:

  • New Revenue Line: Alongside face counts in the chart, you’ll now see a revenue line.
  • Compare Image Types & Sales: See whether couples, solos, or big group shots bring in the most orders.
  • Informed Future Shooting: Focus your time at events on what sells best—maybe it’s the big friend groups or the sweet one-on-one moments.

This view helps you refine your event coverage strategy for max impact.

Ignore the low sales, it was a test Event!

4. Image Details Page 📝

While managing images in your events, you’ll notice a “Details, Logs, and more” link on each image:

  • Expanded Meta Data: Discover camera settings, image size, camera type, and more.
  • Face Matching™ Logs: See if and when a face got paired to a participant; even jump directly to that participant’s gallery.
  • Advanced Troubleshooting: Ideal for debugging customer issues or satisfying your own curiosity about each shot.

It’s more info than we’ve ever provided, so have fun geeking out over the details!

So much image file info and image history now!

5. Big Improvements to the Web Dashboard Image Uploader

Finally, a behind-the-scenes upgrade that’ll make your day-to-day life easier:

  • Upload Up to 5000 Images: Jumping from 1000, so you can batch bigger events in fewer steps.
  • Faster Transfers: As long as you have decent upload speeds, the process should feel snappier overall.
  • Lower CPU Demand: Less strain on your computer, letting you multi-task without slowing to a crawl.

Sometimes it’s the quiet changes under the hood that make the biggest difference.

6. Tiered Pricing Now Live 🎉

After last week’s preview, Tiered Pricing is officially rolled out to SportsPics™, PartyPics™, GradPics™, and other sales-driven events:

  • Upgraded Text & Email Campaigns: We’ve refined the promotional messages to match your Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3 pricing tiers, giving your buyers a clear sense of each week’s small price bump.
  • 365-Day Marketing SMS Replaced with 180: We’ve shortened the final reminder’s timeline from a year to 180 days, aligning better with your event marketing cycle and typical follow-up patterns.

If you haven’t explored Tiered Pricing yet, check it out in your Offer Creator and see how these incremental price changes (and updated marketing) might boost your sales!

That’s all for this week, my wonderful NowCandid™ community.

I hope these new features and improvements empower you to breeze through event management and deliver an even better experience to your clients. As always, if you have questions or feedback, give us a shout.

Until next time—keep capturing those unforgettable moments! ✨

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.

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text
How to customize formatting for each rich text

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

  • List One
  • List Two
  • List Three
  • List Four
  • List Five

This is a link

This is bold text