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Weekly Recap: Faster Background Removal, Smarter Digital Downloads & New AI Editing Tools 📸✨

Weekly Recap: Faster Background Removal, Smarter Digital Downloads & New AI Editing Tools 📸✨
Hey photo friends! 👋

Last week, we were busy hosting our annual Summer Seminar in Denver, Colorado—and we had a great time with everyone who joined us!

That means this week’s recap includes two weeks of updates. Nothing too wild, but plenty of useful improvements across Retail, the Dashboard, Auto Editor, Capture App, and more while we continue working on some bigger changes behind the scenes.

Let’s catch up!

⚡ Faster Background Removal

✂️ Background Removal processing is faster

  • We made multiple speed improvements over the past two weeks to help cutouts finish sooner, especially during higher-volume periods.

📥 Smarter Digital Download Delivery

Digital Downloads can now skip unnecessary processing in more situations.

Some downloads are now available immediately

  • If a customer selects No Overlay, the Event has no artwork, and/the image is not a BGR image, the customer will skip the cropping step on the retail site and receive the full-resolution image without waiting for an 8×12 rendered version.

🖼️ Full aspect ratio is preserved

  • These downloads bypass the cropping step and work more like Personal Gallery Download products.

🆓 Also applies to Medium Res and Free Downloads

  • This includes cases where those downloads are automatically upgraded to full resolution.

📧 Clearer receipt messaging for custom renders

🧾 Order Details now identifies each download type

  • Digital Downloads can now show a Rendered Download or a Full Aspect Ratio Download badge, making it clearer which version was delivered to your customers.

🎨 Auto Editor & Candy Image Studio Updates

🧩 Auto Editor now supports image-input nodes

  • You can now use nodes such as:
    • Custom Image
    • Copy Style
    • Diploma Fix

🙈 Auto Edit originals won’t be texted too early

  • QuicPics and QuicPortraits will no longer send the original image by MMS when it belongs to an active Auto Edit with Hide Originals enabled. The system will wait for the edited version instead.

🕺 New Retro Pop node

  • Give images a colorful, retro-inspired treatment.

🂡 New Ace Card node

  • Turn subjects into a bold playing-card-style design.

💬 QuicPics & Marketing Improvements

👥 QuicPics can now send to multiple contacts on merged participants

  • If merged participant records contain different phone numbers or email addresses, regular QuicPics can now send to each unique contact.

✉️ Marketing startup fix for BGR cutouts

  • Fixed an edge case where marketing would not begin if the only visible images were cutouts from the newer Background Removal system.

🔗 Hot Links now better respect Hide Originals

  • Fixed an issue where the preview could temporarily show the original image before an Auto Edit finished generating.

📱 Capture App Updates

Capture App 5.8.1

iOS and Android OTA updates

🎨 Updated Event artwork is refreshed at login

  • If artwork changed, the latest file is pulled when logging into the Event normally.

🛠️ Small follow-up fix

  • An additional 5.8.1 update was released to address a minor issue.

Capture App 5.9

iOS and Android App Store update

📲 iOS OTA updates are easier to install

  • You no longer need to completely restart the app or return to the Home Screen to install an available Over-the-Air update.

🤖 Android compatibility updates

  • Required updates were made to stay current with new Google Play requirements.

🛍️ Retail Download Fixes

📱 Safari share sheet reliability improved

  • Press-and-hold downloads should now open the native share sheet more consistently on Safari.

🖼️ Virtual Group download cleanup

  • Virtual Groups in QuicPics no longer offer a Download with Art option.

🎨 Background selection fixes

  • Fixed cases where:
    • A PNG could be downloaded without selecting a background and receive an incorrect blue background
    • Faux renders showed no selected background in the download popup

🔐 Facebook login works again

🖥️ Dashboard Improvements

📊 Image Timeline cleanup

  • Fixed chart display issues, removed folders that were not useful in the timeline, and prevented multiple summaries from appearing when switching folders quickly.

🌾 Candy Culler controls are clearer

  • Filter visibility and report controls now use more descriptive buttons, similar to Manage Images.

📈 BGR Folder Stats fixed

  • Cutouts from the newer Background Removal system no longer incorrectly inflate Unassigned totals.

📱 Mobile Dashboard

🔗 More reliable deep linking

  • Dashboard links should open the correct page more consistently when the app has been open for a while or after signing in and out.

That’s the two-week update!

Faster Background Removal and smarter Digital Download delivery are the biggest highlights, with plenty of smaller improvements making Auto Editor, QuicPics, Retail, and the Capture App more dependable.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us in Denver for Summer Seminar—we loved seeing you!

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

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First off, congratulations on starting your photography business! Now, it's time to take the next steps and grow it.

In this post, we'll offer strategic advice to help you effectively expand your photography business with a particular focus on building a strong team, proactive networking, and optimizing your workflow with NowCandid.

1. Optimize Your Workflow ⚙️

Efficiency is the key to successful growth. Evaluate your existing workflow and identify opportunities to streamline processes, automate tasks, and apply time-saving solutions. NowCandid's comprehensive platform makes managing your photography business more efficient, allowing you to earn more, while working less.

2. Hire and Train a Team 👥

As your business expands, so should your team. Recruit talented photographers and support staff and invest in their training and development. With NowCandid, your team can concentrate on capturing amazing photos and providing top-tier customer service.

3. Network Proactively 🤝

Growing your business often requires extending your network to potential clients, partners, and collaborators. Engaging with your local chamber of commerce and demonstrating your photography system, like NowCandid, can lead to new bookings. Once you've established your presence at events, organic growth will follow as attendees experience your photo system in action, promoting word-of-mouth marketing.

4. Identify New Opportunities with NowCandid 🔍

Diversification is a fundamental strategy for growth. NowCandid allows you to effortlessly branch out into new areas like sports, graduations, parties, holiday portraits, and corporate headshots. Using your existing equipment and familiar workflows, NowCandid facilitates the expansion of your business reach and profitability.

5. Leverage Social Media and Online Marketing 🌐

A robust online presence can showcase your portfolio, engage with potential clients, and generate leads. Utilize social media platforms, SEO, and email marketing to promote your services. NowCandid's white-label system ensures your brand remains the main focus in all your marketing efforts - we want you to grow your brand! Your success is our success.

6. Strengthen Your Brand 💪

Distinctive branding can set you apart from your competition and attract your ideal clients. Invest in professional branding elements such as a unique logo and a modern website. NowCandid's customizable Canva templates help also help you out as you start marketing NowCandid's phot systems as your own photo system! Not to mention it makes it easy to maintain a consistent brand image across some of your marketing materials.

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Summar Seminar 2023: 7 Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale
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Want to get the most out of your photography business?

This is the opportunity you've been waiting for! Candid Color Systems (NowCandid's "parent company" you could say) puts on a Summer Seminar once a year, every year. It's a revolutionary chance to talk shop and network with other volume photographers from around the country, learn about what's new with NowCandid, hear about success stories of all kinds, see presentations from some expert guest speakers, and importantly - have fun! This experience has cultivated extreme growth for many of our partners.

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1-Jun-22-2023-06-35-53-6697-PM
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2. Get a Water Taxi pass! 

2-Jun-22-2023-06-35-53-4275-PM
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3-3
Our summer Seminar home is just minutes from the start of the famous Las Olas which is filled with shops, gallerias and restaurants. 

4. Take the River Walk!

4-2
This great Ft. Lauderdale walking area has parks, restaurants and plenty to do. Join a paddle board or segway tour from here to see the area! 

5. Rent a boat (or jet ski)!

5-2
For the ultimate flexibility you can rent or charter a boat from many places. And you don’t have to go far! Walk right out the back door of our seminar home and take a walk around the Bahia Mar marina.

6. Watch mega Yachts cruise by at the 15th Street Fisheries

6-2
There is no better way to spend an evening! Have a cocktail and see amazing ships cruise by as the sun sets. 

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7-1
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Want to register for the Summer Seminar? Click below!

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Hey there, fellow shutterbugs! 📷

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The top 10 ways NowCandid works behind the scenes to give you an unforgettable, hassle-free photography experience. I'm pretty sure these benefits sound as exciting to you as they do to me! So why wait? Join us on this remarkable journey and let's bring your photography business to new heights! Remember, we're here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s make magic together with NowCandid!

Until next time, keep clicking and creating beautiful memories.

Ciao! 👋

- 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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