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Weekly Recap: Express Checkout Confirmations, Capture App Speed Testing, and a New Lightroom Classic Plugin

Weekly Recap: Express Checkout Confirmations, Capture App Speed Testing, and a New Lightroom Classic Plugin
Hey photo friends! 👋


This week’s updates are all about clearer customer actions, smoother retail performance, and new tools that speed up upload workflows. Plus, a strong round of Capture App polish (iOS & Android OTA) and some important Dashboard + Marketing fixes.

Let’s jump in. ✨

🛍️ Retail: Fewer Mis-clicks, Better Previews, Faster Feel

✅ Express Checkout confirmation (all express checkouts)

All express checkout flows now show a confirmation popup that clearly displays the shipping address selected, with options to place the order or go back. It also includes an invalid address popup.

Previously, people would sometimes purchase without double checking their express-checkout-method's default shipping address. So, this change is designed to reduce address mistakes and improve customer experience!

Confirmation popup now clearly displays shipping address confirmation.

🧠 Better UI + performance improvements

  • Improved local rendering (performance, memory usage, and task handling) — originally aimed to improve the retail experience on low-end devices, but it should make most devices feel faster!

  • Native “leave page” confirmation on supported browsers/devices (desktop + Samsung back button) when navigating away from an event page (refresh/back).

Leave page confirmation

🖼️ Clearer package download expectations + better pickers

  • Personal Gallery Downloads on store sheet and package editor now show “+X Images” in the configurator when there are more than 4 images—so customers don’t think they only get what’s previewed.

Personal Gallery Download "+X Images"

    • Personal Gallery Download products inside packages can now be clicked to preview contents.

    • Desktop product/package image pickers are now two columns (like mobile), allowing larger image preview during selection.

    Larger two column image previews

      • Image Filters landing popup now includes “Browse all photos without a filter” so customers who think they must pick a filter know they can also just browse!

      Image Filters landing popup

      🧩 Retail fixes worth noting

      • Fixed a slashed discount amount showing on week 3 when there is no higher amount.
      • Fixed a GalleryGuard edge case that could close the retail site on some Android devices that support mobile context menus when long-pressing.
      • Fixed a race condition where a Group-by-Face gallery loaded from URL params could show default results instead of the filtered view.
      • Fixed an edge case where manually assigned images marked as group could behave like non-group images on retail.

      📱 Capture App OTA: 5.6.1 & 5.6.2 (iOS & Android)

      🌐 NEW: Network Speed Test (5.6.1)

      A new Network Speed Test button is available in Resources. Tap Run Test to check download speed, upload speed, and latency to NowCandid servers (so results may differ from Google/Ookla). It’s a quick test (downloads 5 MB, uploads 2 MB) and is useful for diagnosing weak or congested service during events.

      Mbps is a standard measurement for connection speeds, and 1 megabit per second (Mbps) is 0.125 Megabytes per second (MB/s). So 8 Mbps is 1 Megabyte per second, max. For example, with images that are 10 Megabytes in size, a speed of 8 Mbps would take a minimum of 10 seconds to upload. When speeds are very slow, image uploads may be impossible due to uploads timing out and restarting. In these cases, open the app when you have a stronger connection and all your images will start going up!

      Network Speed Test

      🎪 Photo Booth + Selfie Check-In Station UI upgrades (5.6.2)

      • Photo Booth landing page updated to be more user-friendly (always-visible scrollbar, updated text, sticky go back/continue buttons, red/green emphasis, and a popup explaining why Continue is greyed out).
      • Selfie Check-In Station landing page updated with red/green Go Back / Begin buttons.
      • New dropdown icon beside Group Photo toggle (when an event has PhotoTags) to better display there are additional options to assign PhotoTags.
      • Fixed edge case cancel/continue behavior on Selfie Check-In Station when no contact info was entered.

      🧩 NEW: Lightroom Classic Plugin (Official)

      We’ve launched an official Lightroom Classic plugin to upload images to NowCandid events directly from Lightroom Classic.

      Key notes:

      • Lightroom Classic only
      • Same image rules apply (color profile, DPI, etc.)
      • Uses Capture App login
      • Only events within 60 days of event start date show in the selector
      • Image Details → Logs will show “Uploaded from NowCandid Lightroom Plugin”
      • Docs include guide/download/installation: https://app.nowcandid.com/docs/tools-more/lightroom

      Lightroom Classic Plugin

      Upload from NowCandid Lightroom Plugin

      🖥️ Dashboard: Upload & Roster Clarity + Small UX Wins

      • Event roster upload and PhotoRoster upload now warn about every unrecognized column, making it easier to spot misspellings (especially for optional columns).
      • Participant list page download now puts additional contacts into columns instead of rows.
      • Participant list download now puts merged contacts into their own row if they have different first/last names.
      • Image upload naming cleanup:
        • spaces/parentheses now automatically become underscores (e.g., Image (2)Image_2)
        • names ending in z now get a trailing underscore (e.g., ImagezImagez_)
      • Candy got even better at using the new Docs for responses.
      • Password reset now shows a clear “Your link has expired” screen (links expire after 24 hours).
      • Fixed participant filter inside another participant’s manual assign/unassign page not working properly.
      • Participant Details PhotoTag assignment UI: merged participants no longer incorrectly show PhotoTags as assigned.

      Upload Roster now warns about every unrecognized column.

      📣 Marketing Fixes

      • Fixed edge cases where galleries that were only AI-edited images could cause follow-up email marketing issues and show as 0 images on Participant List.
      • Fixed Day0 marketing edge case not starting if gallery is just AI-edited images.
      • SMS gallery links now include “View photos:” before the gallery URL to reduce confusion where some users thought the gallery link was an unsubscribe link.

      That’s the week! 💫

      Between the Lightroom Classic plugin, the Capture App’s new Network Speed Test, and retail improvements that reduce confusion (and improve performance), this week was packed with practical wins you’ll feel right away.

      Keep it sparkly,

      Candy

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      Weekly Recap: Even Stronger Image Privacy & UI Polish 🔒🧰
      Feature Updates
      October 24, 2025

      Weekly Recap: Even Stronger Image Privacy & UI Polish 🔒🧰

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      Hey photo friends! 👋


      This week we further tightened subject image provacy, and freshened up the UI across Dashboard and Retail.

      Here’s what’s new:

      📋 Dashboard

      • 🏷️ Clearer overlay labels: Event List & Event Details now show Banner or Full Frame thumbnails instead of a generic “graphic overlay” text label only.
      • 🧩 Overlay importer: Now a tidy 2-column layout instead of one at a time, to more quickly let you seek out a specific event's overlays to reuse.
      • 📥 Participant download sheet (big data friendly): Handles very large folder/frame totals without breaking.
      • 🧭 Smarter participant pic choice: If a participant was merged from multiple sources, the sheet now prioritizes the non–Roster record for their participant pic (instead of the silhouette).
      • 🖼️ Retail cover editor: See a preview of the cover photo on retail before saving (not just after).
      • 🔔 Auto-resume marketing alerts: If marketing has been paused too long, you’ll get an inbox + push when it auto-resumes (first Friday after 20 days).
      • 👤 Participant Details upgrades:
        • 🖼️ Higher-res non-BGR images & backgrounds
        • 💡 Lightbox UI and previews that match Manage Images
        • 🟠🟥🟩 Thicker status borders + bold assignment text
      • 🏷️ PhotoTags popup: New All / Assigned / Unassigned tabs for faster tagging.
      • 🧾 Merged participant awareness:
        • Order counts on Participant Details and Participant List now include merged participants
        • Marketing count shows which contact info each message went to
      • Performance wins:
        • Participant List scales better with hundreds or thousands of people
        • PhotoRosters FaceGroup list is snappier with large rosters
      • 🪟 Updated popups: Smoother UI with animated width/height changes.

      🛍️ Retail

      • 🖥️ Small desktop fix: Layout issues resolved for some compact screens.
      • 🛡️ Harder to lift images: Retail page changes to defeat "allow right click" browser extensions to continue to try and protect images & privacy.

      🔒 Image Privacy & Other Fixes

      • 🔒 Enhanced privacy on retail: Images are now even safer from link guessing or misuse while the experience stays the same.
      • Fewer auth requests: Both Dashboard and Retail make fewer calls when refocusing windows, resulting in improved performance!
      • 🧩 Private Download Gallery: BGR cutouts/backgrounds load correctly again.
      • 🔎 Search released images: Now supports BGR and hides not-visible images.
      • Clearer “active” events: Event List now shows “Live on Capture App” to indicate capture-ready status, as opposed to "Active" which caused confusion related to Face Matching.

      That’s the scoop! 💫

      Less friction, clearer signals, and stronger protection—so you can spend more time shooting and selling.

      Keep being amazing,
      Candy 🍬

      Weekly Recap: Sharper Images, A New Workflow & Capture App 4.20.10 📸✨
      Feature Updates
      October 10, 2025

      Weekly Recap: Sharper Images, A New Workflow & Capture App 4.20.10 📸✨

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      Hey photo friends!

      This week’s updates are focused on clarity, quality, and efficiency—from sharper image previews across the board to a brand-new Face Matching Workflow, Roster Check-In.

      Let’s take a look! 👀

      🏅 New Workflow: Roster Check-In™

      Made for sports and other rostered shoots when you want Face Matching™ + a roster in one workflow.

      How it works:

      1. Upload a roster to the Event (via the Dashboard, under your Event's Participants & Contacts page)

      2. In the Capture & Upload app, log into your Event and choose Roster Check-In™ as your shooting mode

      3. Pick a name from the roster (or add one via Type & Take)

      4. Take a quick reference photo (using the device's camera or a tethered camera)

      Done! Future image uploads, from the Capture & Upload app or from the Dashboard, will automatically match to that person and market them their new gallery.

      Note: Requires Capture & Upload App 4.20.10

      📋 Dashboard

      • 🏷️ PhotoTags on Tap-A-Face: You can now set PhotoTags when creating a participant via the manual Tap-A-Face available on the Image Details page
      • 🖼️ Higher-resolution images across key pages, including:
        • Manual Assign Images page
        • Image Release Gallery
      • 🎨 Overlay importer now shows full-frame previews (previously only banners)

      🛍️ Retail Site

      • 🧖 Confirmation popup when adding Retouch items to the cart—provides extra info to the subjects about the retouching process
      • 😊 Face Finder now shows higher-resolution previews for better clarity

      🔒 Private Image Download Galleries

      • 🖼️ Higher-res image previews for a sharper, more polished experience

      📱 iOS Capture App 4.20.10 (coming Oct 10–13)

      • 👥 New Workflow: Roster Check-In™ — streamline your workflow by checking in subjects directly using a roster and the Capture & Upload App
      • 💬 UI updates:
        • Most error popups replaced with native dialogs for cleaner alerts
        • Login popup stays open on invalid login (no more accidental closures)
      • Performance boosts everywhere:
        • Less memory usage for uploads
        • Faster image details popups and Name Lookup lists
        • Better performance for image previews across the shooting page, film strip, image gallery, and FM Roster Check-In

      🧩 Smaller Fixes & Improvements

      • 📸 Faster image loading:
        • Participant list and event overview now use smaller thumbnails
        • PhotoRoster™ Selfie Check-In™ imports now load quicker
      • 🗂️ BGR folder fixes: Group status button behavior corrected for edit folder popups
      • 📍 Tap locations on Image Details page now align correctly
      • 🖼️ Higher-res thumbnails on Manage Images (even in the smaller grid view)
      • 💌 Email-only participants now receive new image alerts after placing an order
      • 🧠 Watermark improvement: Retail site static watermarking now shows the word “Copyright” instead of your business name — this helps prevent AI tools from removing it as platforms are adding copyright-protection safeguards

      That’s everything for this week! 💫

      From sharper previews to smarter check-ins, these updates make every step of your workflow a little smoother (and crisper!).

      Keep being amazing,
      Candy 🍬

      Turning Shipping Into a Smart Strategy with NowCandid™
      NowCandid 101
      October 6, 2025

      Turning Shipping Into a Smart Strategy with NowCandid™

      5
       minutes read

      Shipping isn’t just about getting products into your customers’ hands—it’s a vital part of your business strategy. With NowCandid™, photographers gain control and flexibility to make shipping not just efficient, but profitable and professional.

      Let’s explore how shipping can work harder for your business.

      1. Flexible Shipping That Fits Your Business

      Every photography business is different—and so are its logistics needs. With NowCandid™, you’re in control. You can set your shipping prices on a scale that fits your market, giving you the freedom to align costs with your audience, region, and event type.

      Want to keep things straightforward? Match your lab’s costs and pass them directly to customers.


      Need to account for higher packaging or handling expenses? Adjust your pricing accordingly.

      This flexibility ensures you can stay competitive, protect your margins, and offer customers transparent, fair pricing—without the guesswork or hidden fees.

      2. Shipping as a Profit Center

      Instead of treating shipping as a pass-through expense, many photographers use NowCandid to turn it into a profit opportunity.

      By setting shipping rates slightly higher than lab cost, you can generate additional income per order—a small margin that adds up quickly across dozens or hundreds of orders.

      You’re already capturing the moments, managing the orders, and providing the customer experience. Why not let shipping work for you, too?

      A few dollars added to each order’s shipping fee can translate into a reliable, consistent revenue stream—helping you grow your bottom line without extra work.

      3. Shipping as a Customer Experience Tool

      Shipping is more than a logistical step—it’s often the final impression your business makes. With NowCandid, every order is handled through a professional, automated process that builds trust and satisfaction.

      ✅ Orders are processed with consistent timelines.


      ✅ Taxes are automatically calculated and remitted as part of NowCandid’s marketplace facilitator model.


      ✅ Communication is streamlined and branded under your business name.

      This creates a professional, polished experience that parents, schools, and organizations love. It’s not just about the product they receive—it’s about the confidence that it will arrive smoothly and on time.

      Why It Matters

      Traditional photographers often see shipping as an unavoidable expense. NowCandid helps reframe it as a strategic lever—a small but powerful part of your business model that can:

      • Protect your profit margins through scalable rate control.
      • Enhance customer trust with clear, reliable fulfillment.
      • Boost your professional reputation through smooth delivery experiences.

      With full control and transparency, you can adjust your shipping strategy any time based on season, event type, or customer feedback.

      Final Thoughts

      At NowCandid™, our goal is to help photographers build stronger, more profitable businesses—with smart tools that work behind the scenes.

      By managing shipping strategically—not just as a necessity but as part of your customer and revenue plan—you can deliver a better experience, strengthen your brand, and keep more of what you earn.

       

      👉 Ready to put your shipping strategy to work? Create your free account today and see how NowCandid helps you ship smarter.

      Let’s get in touch

      If you’re a photographer looking to add NowCandid™ services to your wheelhouse, set up a call with us!

      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