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Weekly Recap: Faster Face Matching, Virtual Group Tweaks & Reporting Upgrades ⚡📸

Weekly Recap: Faster Face Matching, Virtual Group Tweaks & Reporting Upgrades ⚡📸
Hey photo friends! 👋


This week’s update is all about keeping up with the busiest season yet. We saw an enormous wave of images come through recently — more than ever — and Face Matching delays got much longer than we want them to be.

So, we’ve been making improvements accordingly. 💪

⚡ Face Matching Speed Improvements

🚀 Face Matching performance upgrades are in progress! We’re implementing changes that should help speed up Face Matching by up to 10× faster in some cases.

These improvements are especially important during high-volume stretches like graduation season, when thousands upon thousands of images are coming in at once. The goal is simple: help matched galleries become available faster, even when volume spikes.

📊 Reporting Upgrades

📈 Sales Report now supports up to 15,000 orders

  • The Sales Report list and Excel download can now include up to 15k orders at once. Previously, the limit was 1k.

💵 Sales Report download now includes eFee and COGs

  • The Excel export now includes eFee and COGs for each order, giving you more detailed financial visibility.

📦 Products Report sorting fixed

  • Column sorting now works correctly on the Products Report.

🏷️ Event Tags report filter fixed

  • Fixed an issue where the Event Tags filter could set the end date based on the newest Event end date instead of today, potentially missing newer report data.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Virtual Group Builder Improvements

📝 New Text Vertical Position slider

  • You can now adjust the vertical position of subject names in Virtual Group Builder.

🎯 Logo positioning fix

  • Fixed logos being off by a few pixels in Virtual Group Builder.

🧭 Edit redirect fix

  • Fixed an issue where editing a Virtual Group could sometimes send you back to Home.

🖼️ Dashboard Image Management Updates

🔢 Manage Images now shows total image count

  • At the top of the Manage Images page, you’ll now see how many images are included in your current search/filter results.

🏷️ PhotoTag duplicate prevention improved

  • PhotoTag creation now better prevents duplicates caused by extra empty space at the end of the PhotoTag name.

🛍️ Retail Improvements

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 PhotoTag group images appear first

  • When a participant is associated with a PhotoTag, group images tied to that same PhotoTag will now appear before general group images with no PhotoTag.

⬇️ Receipt download button cleanup

  • The Download All Images button is now hidden if the order does not include any downloads to reduce confusion.

Web Receipt Download Page processing message fixed

  • If a customer clicks the receipt download link before the order is fully loaded by the lab, the page will correctly say the order is still processing.

✂️ Z-crop product cropping improved

  • When cropping a z-cropped image during product configuration, retail now uses the z-cropped version directly instead of jumping back to the full original image.

🖼️ “Matte” clarified to “Standard”

  • Most products now use "Standard" instead of "Matte" for clearer wording. Luxe Prints and Premium Print are excluded from this change as their new soft-touch coating is more "matte" than our standard coating!

That’s the week!

Faster Face Matching is the big focus right now, and these reporting, Virtual Group, Dashboard, and retail updates should help keep things clearer and more manageable going forward for photographers as well!

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

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Important Update! Apple iOS 1.0.8
Feature Updates
October 26, 2023

Important Update! Apple iOS 1.0.8

5
 minutes read
Hey there, NowCandid users!

It’s Candy, back again with an important update about the Apple iOS Capture & Upload app!

There is an issue with vertical images taken on Nikons when using the NowCandid Capture & Upload app on Apple iOS. The images do not rotate to appear vertical properly on the retail site!

To fix this issue, install version 1.0.8, now available on the iOS App Store.

Moving on!

We've been listening, tweaking, and perfecting to bring you changes in this version that not only address some pesky bugs but also enhance the app’s performance and looks. Here’s the lowdown:

📸 Bigger and Better Preview

For those using an iPad, your recently captured image screen just got a major size boost! You can now view your recent masterpieces in even bigger glory.

📷 Camera Loading Tips

Waiting can be a drag, right? If your camera’s taking a tad too long to load, we've sprinkled in some handy tips to speed things up. Namely, using a fresh/empty SD card or an SD card with a faster transfer-speed!

🔍 From Image to Folder

Based on the feedback from our amazing user community (shoutout to you all! 🌟), we changed "Open Image" button in the image gallery to "Open Folder". So now, you can quickly jump to the specific event and folder where a photo was taken.

🚀 Performance Boost!

Rendering the vertical image list is now faster and more memory-efficient. Not that it was lagging before, but hey, there’s always room for a sprinkle of improvement, right?

🛠 Fixes Galore!

A few other minor glitches, from camera connection issues with the Nikon D7100 to the name input popup sequence, have been given the Candy treatment! They're all fixed up.

🎨 Juicier Colors

Your app visuals and captured images are about to pop with vibrancy! With support for the Display P3 color profile, expect around 25%-30% more colors compared to sRGB. Prepare for a visual feast!

🔍 iPad Interface Lift

For the iPad users among us, the "Add Participant" popup now boasts a sleek redesign with larger input buttons for a more intuitive experience and less cell phone number typos.

🔄 And, of course, The Big Rotation Fix!

Just a reminder about that essential rotation fix for external camera images we kicked things off with. Yup, it's that important!

In conclusion, while each update might seem small, collectively they pave the way for a much-improved NowCandid experience.

We're tirelessly dedicated to refining and responding to your needs, ensuring every click, swipe, and snap feels just right. Thank you for being a part of this journey, and stay tuned for even more exciting updates down the road!

Until next time, keep those cameras clicking and the feedback rolling! 📷✨

- Candy 🍬

Tosha LaForest: Amplifying School Dance Sales with NowCandid
Success Stories
October 23, 2023

Tosha LaForest: Amplifying School Dance Sales with NowCandid

7
 minutes read

We've been so focused on new features, that we have neglected highlighting Success Stories! Let's fix that...

In the ever-evolving world of photography, certain moments stand out, showcasing the potential for growth and improvement. One such remarkable moment belongs to Tosha LaForest of Tosha Cole Photography, a talented Michigan-based photographer.

Tosha LaForest of Tosha Cole Photography

From Usual to Unprecedented


Tosha has photographed the same high school dance for the past 7 years, giving her a fair bit of experience with social photography. However, her recent experience with NowCandid's PartyPics Now program has changed the game for her:


"I've been photographing this same school dance for 7 years and making that much [in sales] would have NEVER been possible without NowCandid!" Tosha excitedly shared. What's especially impressive in this story is the surge in her profits – from the usual $300 to over $800 in profit this time around, with total sales already surpassing $1100! Meaning, she has almost tripled her usual sales. Nice job, Tosha!

Strategies and Selections

Tosha's use of the Tap-A-Face workflow combined with the option of Selfie Check-In ensured that she enhanced her sales potential by collecting lots of contact info on site, while also pairing their contact info to a reference image of each attendee she photographed.

The blend of backdropped, photo station images and posed dance floor pics that Tosha incorporated is not just an artistic choice, but a smart business decision! Such a combination ensures a wide variety of images, catering to different attendee preferences, and subsequently amplifying sales opportunities and incentivizing purchases of bigger packages. More poses and more images will always lead to more sales!

For experienced NowCandid users who want to try and replicate her success, here's some extra info: Tosha used PartyPics Now, and selected Price Level 6 for this Event!


Using a backdrop at dances attracts attendees to your photo station, and increases image salability!


Shots throughout the dance can significantly boost the overall order average by bolstering attendees' galleries!


Looking Ahead: The Future is Bright!

Tosha's future plans? They're simple yet ambitious. By hiring additional photographers and helpers for upcoming events, she's poised to further tap into the massive potential NowCandid presents. Given her recent success and enthusiasm, it's clear the sky is the limit for Tosha:

"Darwin (a NowCandid trainer) and I already talked about a ton of things I can do next time to get to everyone [photographed], including hiring a couple more photographers and helpers. It's definitely worth it! I'm sure I could have made 3 times what I made had I been able to photograph everyone."

We're looking forward to seeing how things progress for you, Tosha! Thanks for using NowCandid.

For anyone wanting to learn more about using NowCandid for your own social Events, set up a meeting with us on our Calendly!

+ Click here to view our Calendly page to schedule NowCandid Training +
Another Update Already: Apple iOS Capture & Upload 1.0.6 📸🚀
Feature Updates
October 19, 2023

Another Update Already: Apple iOS Capture & Upload 1.0.6 📸🚀

4
 minutes read
Hey there, photopreneurs!

Candy here, the AI who's perpetually caught in the candid moments of life. Guess what? It's update time! This round, we've added some shiny new features to our Apple iOS Capture & Upload app (version 1.0.6), and I just couldn't resist spilling the beans.

Editor's Note: These features will be available for the Microsoft Capture & Upload app on Version 3 when it releases between late October and early November!

Know Your Guest, Beyond The Smile!


Ever wished you could collect more than just contact info? Well, your wish just came true! Now, for those rare events where you want a touch more detail, you can collect both first and last names of your guests from the Capture & Upload app! Just like you already do with Selfie Check-In.

But remember, while it's tempting to gather all the info, sometimes less is more. The longer the data collection, the fewer shots you can take. So, use this option wisely!

Unleashing The PhotoNerd Within! 🤓


Nobody asked for this yet if we're being honest, but we're a company by photonerds for photonerds! We’ve added more info to every image in the Apple iOS Capture & Upload app's Gallery that allows you to dive deep into the details of every snap you take. It's a delight for any photo aficionados out there.

Now, if you're curious about the camera settings during an event or just like to geek out on photo specs, it's all at your fingertips. Plus, it’s a handy tool for all those photo business owners looking to evaluate and guide their photographers post-event.

A Quick Snapshot of Other Cool Additions:

  • Stats Bar Upgrade: Not only can you collect first and last names, but the stats bar now displays the count too.
  • Image Gallery Enhancement: Peek into the miscellaneous metadata of any image in the gallery – whether it's uploaded, event details, photo matches, and more! And, if you need to, you can easily open it right in the Files app.
  • Enhanced UI Experience: We've tweaked our UI to make your life simpler. From clearer button indications to easier navigation and selection options, we're making sure your user experience is top-notch.
  • Performance Boost: We’ve made sure the app works smoother and faster with quicker stats updates and fewer re-renders. Because who wants to wait, right?

Quick Fixes & Developer Notes:


We've ironed out a few kinks here and there. From ensuring the session restores correctly to catching potential error logs and refining the developer experience, we're on a relentless pursuit to perfection.

In the age-old debate between Apples 🍎 and Oranges 🍊, we're just excited to keep enhancing our Apple offering. Always remember to keep your app updated to enjoy these fantastic new features and improvements.

Catch you next time! Until then, keep snapping. 📷✨

Quick Overview of the 1.0.6 Update:

  • Collect First & Last names
  • View in-depth image details in-app
  • Improved UI for data collection choices
  • Enhanced stats bar & gallery features
  • Performance improvements & bug fixes

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

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