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Wrapping Up Grad Season: Key Takeaways for Photographers Using GradPics Now

Wrapping Up Grad Season: Key Takeaways for Photographers Using GradPics Now

As we move past the mid-way point of graduation season, it's a perfect time to reflect on the key takeaways and strategies that can boost your photography business in these last handful of ceremonies.

The impact of using NowCandid's GradPics Now program has been significant for photographers working both large and small events. Here’s a look at what we've learned so far and how you can make the most of the remaining graduations.

Tips for a Successful Graduation Season

1. Prioritize Speed Over Extensive Retouching

In the fast-paced environment of graduation ceremonies, the quick delivery of photos can significantly boost your sales. Focus on capturing the best possible shots in-camera and ensure speedy delivery to clients.

2. Stick to SRGB Color Profiles for Retouching

If retouching is necessary, save images in an SRGB color profile. This ensures consistency and vibrancy across all viewing platforms, enhancing the overall appeal of your photos to clients.

3. Use Direct Flash to Enhance Image Quality

Proper lighting is crucial, especially in the varied environments of graduation venues. Using direct flash can help mitigate common lighting issues such as facial shadows, ensuring your subjects are evenly lit and stand out.

4. Be Prepared: Carry Extra Batteries and a Backup Camera

Always be prepared for the unexpected. Carry extra batteries and a backup camera to all events. This ensures uninterrupted shooting, even if your primary camera fails or batteries run out.

NowCandid Best Practices: Selfie Check-In Workflow

NowCandid's Selfie Check-In workflow is designed to streamline the graduation photography process, making it easier for photographers to manage large events and ensuring every graduate's moment is captured. Here's how to effectively use this feature:

  • Ensure Participation: Encourage every graduate to use the Selfie Check-In upon arrival. Consider assigning assistants to facilitate this process and ensure a smooth workflow.
  • Visibility: Utilize multiple QR code placements—signs, lanyards, and handheld QR code signs—to ensure no one misses out. This increases the chances of capturing every graduate.
  • Extended Reach: Gather information not just from graduates, but also their families. This expands your marketing reach and increases the potential for sales.

Highlighting Best Performing Graduations with NowCandid

The power of NowCandid's tools is evident in the outstanding performance of several recent graduation events:

  • An Oklahoma Medical College Commencement
    • ~150 graduates
    • ~$65 sales per graduate
    • ~$9,750 in sales

  • An Oklahoma Graduate School Commencement
    • ~115 graduates
    • ~$41.50 sales per graduate
    • ~$4,772.50 in sales

  • A Louisiana Medical College Commencement
    • ~175 graduates
    • ~$40 sales per graduate
    • ~$7,000 in sales

  • A Louisiana College Commencement
    • ~250 graduates
    • ~$37.50 sales per graduate
    • ~$9,375 in sales

  • An Alaska College Graduation Ceremony
    • ~100 graduates
    • ~$21 sales per graduate
    • ~$2,100 in sales

All these events were photographed in the last two months, showcasing the incredible potential of leveraging NowCandid for your graduation photography needs.

Ready to Elevate Your Graduation Photography?

There's still time to use NowCandid for your upcoming graduation events. If you have any questions or need help setting up an event, our experts Jack and Darwin are here to assist you.

Schedule a session with them today at https://calendly.com/nowcandid-training to ensure you're fully prepared to make this graduation season your most successful yet!

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Weekly Recap: JerseyJotter™, SportsPics Action Pricing, and Smarter Gallery Sharing🏷️
Feature Updates
June 20, 2025

Weekly Recap: JerseyJotter™, SportsPics Action Pricing, and Smarter Gallery Sharing🏷️

7
 minutes read
Hey there, it’s Candy!

This week, we’re bringing the action with jersey recognition, fresh new price levels for sports events, and a sleek gallery-sharing upgrade that makes your links pop.

Let’s dive in! 💦

🧢 Introducing: JerseyJotter™

Your new MVP for sports galleries has arrived!

JerseyJotter™ automatically adds searchable filters to the All Images gallery for SportsPics Events:

  • 🎽 Color Recognition – identifies the primary shirt/jersey color worn in the photo.
  • 🔢 Number Recognition – picks up numbers from jerseys or racing bibs

You can toggle:

  • ✅ Both on
  • ✅ Only one
  • ✅ Or turn them both off

✅ Color & Number Recognition will work for both Positive ID and Face Matching Events (as long as the All Images Gallery is turned on)


🔍 Customers can filter using either filter independently, or both filters at once!

It’s your new best friend for organizing crowded team galleries!

💸 New SportsPics (Action) Price Levels + Offer Template

We’ve added new price levels and a recommended offer template for action-packed sports coverage. These are designed to complement JerseyJotter™ and better suit high-volume, high-energy photo galleries.

Perfect for:

  • 🏃‍♂️ Race day events
  • 🏈 Game-day action
  • 🏀 Sideline candids

If you’re used to SportsPics Portrait pricing, give this new setup a look—it might be a better fit for your action photgraphy Events!

🔗 Gallery Sharing Just Got an Upgrade

Now when you share your NowCandid Gallery Links via:

  • 📱 iMessage
  • 💬 Discord
  • ✉️ Other messaging platforms

They’ll automatically preview using your Event’s retail cover photo (if one’s set) — or fall back to the first image in the gallery, no complete with copyright-watermarking.

📸 Cleaner. Sharper. Way more pro.

🔍 Dashboard Search Boost

  • Hit Control + K (or find it in the Extras dropdown) to search Orders and Events
  • Because finding stuff fast should feel like magic 🪄

✨ Tiny Changes & Bug Splatting

  • 🧵 View Sequence logic now uses image names for better chronological accuracy
  • 🪲 Smashed a bajillion bugs (yes, bajillion is a real number)
    • Including quirks with email marketing
    • And rare background removal issues in relation to group photos & group products

That’s it for this week! If you're capturing athletes, races, or energetic action shots, this update was made just for you. 💪

Until next time,


📣 Candy

Graduation Was Great… But What If You Missed the Selfie Check-Ins™?🎓
GradPics
June 18, 2025

Graduation Was Great… But What If You Missed the Selfie Check-Ins™?🎓

7
 minutes read
Hey there, grad photographers! 👋

Candy here from NowCandid, and we need to talk about a common situation we’ve been hearing a lot about:

“I didn’t get enough graduates to do Selfie Check-In™… now what?!”

We get it. When you're new to the Selfie Check-In™ system, it’s easy to be a little too passive — maybe you just printed QR codes on handouts or stuck signs around the venue. That’s a decent start, and sure, it’ll get you some check-ins… but not nearly enough to maximize your reach (and sales 💸).

So what should have happened? Ideally, you have staff at the entrance — where all the grads arrive — actively guiding them through Selfie Check-In™ before they even get to the ceremony space. Yes, it may feel pushy at first, but schools usually love that you’re making sure families get the photos they want. Some schools even appreciate the contact info you collect, because it helps them stay connected with their new alumni! 🎓💌

But that’s beside the point. Graduation season is winding down now. You can’t go back in time and be more assertive with check-ins. So the question is:

😰 You Missed the Selfie Check-Ins™… What Now?

Good news: All is not lost! 🙌

We just added a set of brand-new post-graduation email templates to our Digital Marketing Materials, accessible via our Resources Page.

These are customizable Word docs you can quickly edit and send to the school — making it super easy for them to email students and parents the Selfie Check-In™ URL.

These emails invite grads and families to check in after the event, so they can still receive their images. We even included:

  • ✅ A version you can send to the school to make the ask
  • ✅ A version the school can send to grads & families directly
  • ✅ Language that’s clear, warm, and action-driven

By doing this, you’ll reach a bunch of people who want their photos but never knew how to access them. It means:

📸 More participants tagged

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 More happy families

💰 More sales coming your way!

📈 Real Results: One Photographer's Experience

One photographer we worked with saw many graduates did not complete their Selfie Check-In™ by the day of the event. So, after the ceremony, the photographer asked the school to send a follow-up message using our post-event template.

The result?


Participation is up 12% so far! Between additional participation and continued marketing campaigns - Event revenue has increased significantly since the photographer asked the schools to send out these emails for the stragglers!

📬 Let’s Hear From You!

Whether this graduation season was a smashing success or a learning experience, we want to hear from you.

Got feedback? Success stories? Questions? Rants? Raves? We’re all ears. 👂💕

Drop us a note right here: nowcandid.com/contact

Your feedback helps us grow — and we’re always looking to celebrate wins or learn how we can make your job easier next year!

Until next grad season,


💖 Candy from NowCandid

Weekly Recap: A Slicker Image Details Page & Some Nice Quality-of-Life Upgrades📸
Feature Updates
June 13, 2025

Weekly Recap: A Slicker Image Details Page & Some Nice Quality-of-Life Upgrades📸

4
 minutes read
Hey friends, Candy here!

This week we’ve got a shiny new Image Details page, some small but mighty tweaks across the board, and a handful of fixes to make your dashboard life just a bit smoother.

Let’s take a peek! 👀

🌟 Brand-New Image Details Page!

Your favorite behind-the-scenes image panel just got a makeover—and it's so much faster now! Whether you’re digging into face match data or reviewing contact info, everything’s loading snappier and more clearly than ever.

You’ll notice:

  • • Cleaner layout 🧼
  • • Larger image preview
  • Speedy load times ⚡
  • Better organization of metadata 🗂️

Details, Participants, and Logs have also been split into three distinct tabs!

Go ahead, give it a click from the Manage Images page or a Participant's Details page!

You can even hover highlighted faces with your mouse to view attached Participants!

In case you need to know how to get to the Image Details page!

🔧 Misc Changes & Improvements

Some smart, helpful little tweaks that add up to a smoother experience:

  • 🔗 Image Details links added to image previews on the Participant Details page (because shortcuts are life).
  • 🖼️ Free Download / Medium-Res Download for QuicPics™ Events are now set to a 2:3 aspect ratio—perfect for showcasing your 2:3 Full Frame overlay art!
  • 📦 Better retail display for big packages: Packages with 5+ items are now prettier, yay!

A look at the new 5+ Item Package graphic! Retail Theme: Liquorice - Event Program: QuicPics

  • 🎯 Face Matching Confidence level is now selectable during Event Creation, not just after. Set your confidence from the start!
  • 🛡 GalleryGuard™ has been updated to work even on iOS 26. The screenshots stay black. The images stay safe.

🐛 Bug Fixes

A few pesky things we squashed this week:

  • 🚫 The Unassigned Images count no longer includes BGR cutouts that have already been matched. More accurate image management FTW.
  • 🔄 Some Events were having trouble loading the Manage Images page. That glitch has now been zapped. 💥

That’s all for now!

Be sure to check out the new Image Details page, and if you haven’t yet, try out GalleryGuard™ on your own iOS device—it’s basically wizardry. 🧙‍♂️

Until next week,
💖 Candy

Let’s get in touch

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