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Weekly Recap: More Virtual Group Control, New Sports Backgrounds & Better BGR Tools 🏈✨

Weekly Recap: More Virtual Group Control, New Sports Backgrounds & Better BGR Tools 🏈✨
Hey photo friends! 👋

Candy here with another weekly recap! This week brings more control to Virtual Group Builder, a much better home for Event Background Removal, new Candy Image Studio exposure tools, and—yes—27 new sports background sets. 😎

Let’s jump in!

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Virtual Group Builder Additions

Ask and you shall receive... sometimes! We’ve gotten some good feedback on Virtual Group Builder, and this week several new controls are here to make layouts easier to fine-tune:

↕️ Force subjects onto different rows

  • While dragging a subject, new Add to Row buttons appear over the other rows. Drop the subject there to explicitly move them where you want instead of relying entirely on automatic placement.
  • Previously you were limited to automatically determined rows, you still have those but can now override them!

🔍 New logo size slider

  • Adjust your corner logos to be smaller or larger than the default.
  • Previously they could be considered a bit tiny, but this gives you a bit more control!

🌫️ Individual cutout fade control

  • The Subject Inspector now has its own cutout fade intensity slider, separate from the global setting, so you can fine-tune individual subjects when needed.
  • This will let you tweak the cutout fade intensity for subjects in the front row or on the sides of the virtual group, in case you're wanting a very specific look.

👥 Smarter merged-participant image selection

  • The Subject Image Picker will only show images from merged participants when they share the same name.
  • This typically does not matter, but in the case of a parent doing a Selfie Check-In of themselves and then of their child later, this will keep Virtual Groups working as expected!

Just a few additions, but very useful ones when you’re trying to get a Virtual Group looking just right!

Drag and drop subjects into other rows for more control than ever!

New options to more quickly space out your subjects!

When viewing subject details, adjust them by individual!

Control the size of your logos!

🏈 27 New Sports Background Sets

Alright, shoutout to the random guy who told me (me being Candy, in case you forgot!) that he didn’t like the backgrounds. We heard you! 😂

This week we’ve added 27 new sets of sports backgrounds, including a brand-new Sports – Locker Room background category.

And, in case you missed it, last week we also added an AI Background Generator so you can create entirely new, modern backgrounds of your own.

A quick reminder... you already have a lot of control over which backgrounds your customers actually see:

🎨 Edit the default backgrounds in your Offers

📤 Upload your own custom backgrounds at both the Offer-level and Event-level

🤖 Generate new backgrounds of your own with AI

🏈 Choose from our (now growing) collection of built-in choices

We have a TON of default backgrounds—and yes, many have been around for a while—but you’re never locked into using them. You can build your own look for your business, and we’ll keep adding new options over time too.

✂️ New Dedicated Background Removal Page

Event Background Removal now has its own dedicated Dashboard page, accessible from the Event Sidebar. It is not longer just a popup!

The BGR toggle on Event Overview will take you there too, giving all of these controls a little more breathing room.

On the new page, you can:

✅ Enable or disable Background Removal

🖼️ Manage your Event Backgrounds

🎨 See your Offer Backgrounds with a direct link to the Offer

📊 See how many cutouts have finished and how many are still processing

⏳ Watch a live progress bar while Background Removal is working

📂 See all valid Event folders and which ones are marked for Background Removal

And if your Event is a new Event: ✂️ You can mark an existing folder for Background Removal even if it already contains images!!!

🎨 Candy Image Studio: Better Exposure Fixes

🌙 New Fix Underexposure node

  • Helps recover images that came out too dark.

☀️ Fix Overexposure greatly improved

  • The existing overexposure tool has been reworked for more reliable results.

Utilize Candy Image Studio to fix images so they can sell, quickly and affordably!

🏈 Jersey Jotter Progress Tracking

New Jersey Jotter progress bar

  • When Jersey Jotter is active and still has unprocessed images, its dedicated page now shows processing progress—similar to Candy Culler and the new Background Removal page.

This makes it much easier to tell whether recognition is still working through a large Event.

🛍️ Retail Improvements

Titled Luxe Prints now work with package prefill

  • Packages can now automatically prefill eligible Titled Luxe Print products just like other supported products.

🖼️ Titled Luxe Print package rendering fixed

  • Fixed an issue where these products could render incorrectly inside packages.

🤖 AI-generated backgrounds now render correctly on products

🎨 Selected backgrounds now stay visible through the final product step

  • Fixed an issue where the chosen background could sometimes disappear on renders when reaching quantity and finish steps.

📝 Several product descriptions updated

  • Some product descriptions have been refreshed for better clarity.

🖼️ AI Edit + BGR Assignment Fix

👥 BGR versions of AI edits now keep direct participant assignments

  • If the original non-AI image was directly assigned to someone, its Background Removed AI-edited version will now correctly inherit that relationship.

📦 Order Details Fix

📝 Package captions now display correctly

  • Fixed cases where Order Details did not show caption information for certain products contained inside packages.

📱 Capture App 5.9.1 – iOS OTA

📸 Photo Booth fix for iPad

  • Fixed the Photo Booth gallery strip being cut off on certain iPad models.

That’s the week!

More Virtual Group control, a much stronger Background Removal workflow, some useful exposure tools, and plenty of fresh sports backgrounds to work with.

And if you still don’t like the backgrounds... now you’ve got plenty of ways to show us how it’s done. 😉

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

Related articles

QuicPics Just Got Quicker! 🚀
QuicPics
October 27, 2023

QuicPics Just Got Quicker! 🚀

2
 minutes read
Hey, photo fanatics!

Candy here, with a flash update (pun intended) that's going to rev up your NowCandid experience. Ready to capture the moment? 📸

Blink and You'll Miss It!


Using a Positive ID Workflow like Type & Take, Scanner ID, or Name Lookup? You're in for a treat! QuicPics images are now zooming to individuals at warp speed. We've supercharged the tech behind it so you can send those stunning shots faster than you can say "cheese!"

And for Face Matching Workflow Events using Tap-A-Face, Selfie Check-In, or FaceMatch Import - expect QuicPics images to sprint to your guests just a tad faster than before. Maybe not light-speed like our Positive ID pals, but definitely faster!

Sweet Savings Alert! 🍬


Did you catch our little tweak from last month? The fee for each uploaded image when using QuicPics dipped to just $0.20, down from $0.31. Savings, speed, and sensational images? Talk about a picture-perfect combo!

A friendly reminder: PartyPics Now, Portraits Now, GradPics Now, and SportsPics Now have absolutely zero fees per uploaded image. QuicPics is the only NowCandid Program that has any sort of fees!

Cheers to capturing moments even quicker, and keep those shutters snapping!

Stay snazzy,

Candy 🍭💜📷

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 +

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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