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Weekly Recap: Virtual Group Builder, Client Outreach Updates & Smarter Retail Support 🎉📸

Weekly Recap: Virtual Group Builder, Client Outreach Updates & Smarter Retail Support 🎉📸
Hey photo friends! 👋

This is a big week! The headline feature is one many sports and volume photographers are going to love: An all-new Virtual Group Builder is now available directly on the Dashboard.

We’ve also added new Candy Image Studio tools, improved Client Outreach behavior, refreshed image assignment tools, and made retail support easier for shoppers and photographers alike.

Let’s jump in!

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Big New Feature: Virtual Group Builder

You can now build Virtual Groups directly on the Dashboard — with Mobile Dashboard support too!

Find it from an Event page by clicking Virtual Groups in the sidebar menu.

With Virtual Group Builder, you can:

👥 Import participants from the full Event, one at a time, or everyone with a specific PhotoTag

✂️ Use participant cutouts to build polished group images

🏷️ Build groups quickly when your Event has consistent cutouts and participants tagged with PhotoTags

🖼️ Create Virtual Groups in 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, or 11×14 formats

🎨 Choose from NowCandid default backgrounds, upload custom backgrounds, and add overlays

🧢 Add account logos to the corners

🔤 Toggle subject names on or off

📐 Preview crop lines and aspect ratio lines

🖱️ Zoom, pan, drag, reorder, resize, brighten, and position subjects

You can also adjust group-level settings like background, overlay, overall scale, vertical position, bottom shadow falloff, and individual cutout fade to help hide cropped legs.

When your Event is set up cleanly with cutouts and PhotoTags, you can create a full Virtual Group in just a few clicks. ✨

Docs page: https://app.nowcandid.com/docs/image-management/virtual-groups

Desktop Dashboard view of the new Virtual Group Builder

Mobile Dashboard view of the new Virtual Group Builder

🎓 Candy Image Studio: New Graduation Tools

Candy Image Studio got some very timely upgrades for graduation season:

🎓 New “Diploma Fix” node

  • Helps fix diploma orientation and glare. You’ll need to upload a reference diploma so Candy knows what the diploma should look like, including details like school name, emblem, fonts, and colors.

🎗️ New “Tassel Fix” node

  • Helps adjust graduation tassels that are covering a subject’s face — similar to Stray Hair Removal, but tailored specifically for grad tassels.

👓 Improved Reduce Glass Glare

  • This node is now more reliable and less likely to accidentally add glasses to subjects who aren’t wearing them.

📣 Client Outreach Improvements

Client Outreach got a few useful updates to help save money and keep lists cleaner:

🚫 Unsubscribed contacts excluded by default

  • Imported Client Outreach contacts now exclude unsubscribed contacts unless you choose to include them.

🔘 New “Include unsubscribed contacts” toggle

  • You can still include them if needed, but the default helps avoid spending on contacts who can’t receive your outreach.

👀 Show Hidden on Client Lists

  • The Client Outreach list page now has a Show Hidden option, similar to Offers and PhotoRoster organizations.

🧭 Client List sidebar shortcut

  • The Client Outreach sidebar item now takes you back to the Client List page more clearly.

🖼️ Image Management & Dashboard Upgrades

🧩 Image Release Gallery redesign

  • The Image Release Gallery now uses a masonry layout like retail, supports lightboxes with arrow key navigation, has CMD/CTRL+F search support, and saves filters in the URL.

🧑‍💻 Manual Assignment page refresh

  • The Participant Manual Assignment page has a cleaner, more intuitive UI.

Camera star ratings on Image Details

  • If your camera includes star ratings, they now appear on the Image Details page.

⬇️ Image Details convenience buttons

  • Image Details now includes quick actions to download or open in Candy Image Studio.

🏷️ PhotoTag ampersand fix

  • PhotoTag names with ampersands now save correctly.

🧍 Merged participant name fix

  • Manual Assignment now shows the selected participant’s name instead of the first merged participant’s name.

🔙 Event sidebar remembers filters

  • When going back to the Event List from an Event Overview page, your filters are remembered as long as you haven’t refreshed.

🔁 Pricing tier reset button

  • Participant marketing history now includes a button to reset a participant’s pricing tier start date, useful if support wants to re-offer first-week pricing.

🪪 Positive ID QR Code downloader options

  • You can now download blank cards only, registered participants only, or everyone, making scan card PDFs easier to manage for multi-workflow sports events.

🛠️ New Tool: Image Converter

There’s a new tool under Tools & More → Image Converter.

Use it to:

🔄 Convert images to WEBP, PNG, or JPEG

🎨 Convert images to sRGB

Handy for preparing files before uploading them to NowCandid Events.

📚 New Capture App Camera Docs

We added a dedicated docs page for confirmed camera models that work with the Capture App.

More cameras may work than what’s listed, but this page focuses on models we’ve confirmed.

Docs page: https://app.nowcandid.com/docs/capture-app/cameras

🛍️ Retail Improvements

📬 New Contact Us form on retail

  • The Contact Us popup now includes a form that sends support an email with helpful details automatically included, such as browser info, window size, retail link, Event details, and order number when available. This should make support faster and reduce back-and-forth.

🖼️ Overlay step now comes before cropping

  • This prepares retail for future improvements while keeping product customization clearer.

🗓️ Smarter Year captions

  • Certain products now default the Year caption to the Event start year or participant Day 0 year instead of the current year. Helpful for late-December events or older graduation galleries.

🌍 International order fix

  • Fixed an edge case where some international orders could send multiple receipts and incorrectly show that the order wasn’t submitted.

🤳 Selfie Check-In & Capture App Updates

📶 Clearer Selfie Check-In upload errors

  • If a selfie upload fails, subjects now see a more specific error reason — like upload speed being too slow — so they know what to try next.

📱 Capture App 5.6.3 OTA update

  • Contact Info Settings now says Tap-A-Face or Type & Take based on the Event program
  • The 1000×1000 reference image requirement has been removed for Selfie Check-In Station and Roster Check-In, especially helpful for Android devices with lower-resolution cameras

That’s the week!

Virtual Group Builder is the big one, especially for sports and volume workflows — but between Client Outreach, Candy Image Studio, Image Converter, and retail support improvements, there’s a lot here to make your next Event easier to manage.

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

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Learn How NowCandid Can Help You Remarket Your Pre-NowCandid Images🌟
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April 22, 2024

Learn How NowCandid Can Help You Remarket Your Pre-NowCandid Images🌟

8
 minutes read

For those who are new to NowCandid, let me tell you that NowCandid does a lot to help you continue to make sales on the images that you put through our system!

Things such as:

  • Long-Term Hosting: We keep galleries online for at least 15 years.
  • Ongoing Marketing: Annual Event reminders & occasional consolidated Event marketing.
  • Sales Reinforcement: "Order More" QR codes on print products to encourage reorders.

So, if you're using NowCandid for your current and future Events, those Events are all set to generate plenty of residual sales as the years go by!

However, did you know that NowCandid can be used to easily remarket images from your past, pre-NowCandid Events?

As a photographer, you have probably used other software and sales solutions in the past. That's okay! NowCandid is not a jealous business partner, and we are just happy you're here for us to help you now.

So let's talk about how we can help you get more sales out of those past Events of yours.

The Power of Remarketing 🔄

First off, let me say that this will only work in situations where you have:

  • Pictures of Individuals: Such as headshots or portraits.
  • Corresponding Contact Information: You need to know which contact info goes with which image files.

If you have past Events with those two things readily available, then you can use our oft overlooked FaceMatch Import Workflow to create what we often call a FaceGroup in your NowCandid Dashboard.

You can then use that FaceGroup (pictures of individuals corresponding to an uploaded set of contact information) in any of your NowCandid Events!

Meaning... you could create a NowCandid Event, utilize a FaceGroup of some school picture headshots you did, and then upload to that Event that class's graduation pictures, school pictures, dance pictures, or anything else you'd like to remarket!

Once the "reference images" from your FaceGroup are in the Event as well as your past images of that same group of people - the images will match up using our Face Matching processes and begin a marketing campaign and sales effort that will help you generate some sales on those old images right now, as well as occasional residual sales over the years and years to come.

Your Portfolio, Forever Profitable 💼

As an example, a new NowCandid user performed the exact processes we described above to "remarket" graduation pictures from 4 of the graduations they photographed last year.

Within a month of remarketing those 2023 images, this user generated about $1300 in sales and shipping!

That $1300 will be in addition to the sales they will be able to make as the years go by, thanks to the residual sales tactics we mentioned earlier.

Unlocking New Sales with Old Memories 🔑

So, if you dear reader are in a position to utilize some of the portraits and contact info you've collected in the past, consider using NowCandid to remarket them! Doesn't matter if they're 1, 3, 5, or even 10+ years old.

NowCandid does not charge you any subscription or hosting fees, so even if you were to make $0 in sales, it won't cost you a thing.

We only make money when you do, and we only want to help you earn more and work less!

Get Started Now 🚀

Ready to give your vintage images a new lease on life? Schedule a walkthrough with our specialist, Darwin, and let's get those images working for you once more. Click here to book your session: NowCandid Training

NowCandid is committed to helping you earn more with less effort. Let’s turn those archived galleries into a flourishing sales channel, starting now!
Graduation Success: Candid Color Photography's Triumph at an Oklahoma Advancement Ceremony
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April 17, 2024

Graduation Success: Candid Color Photography's Triumph at an Oklahoma Advancement Ceremony

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 minutes read
Candid Color Photography (CCP) in Oklahoma City recently orchestrated a resounding success at a local medical school's advancement ceremony.

With only 100 graduates attending the ceremony, CCP generated an impressive average revenue of roughly $49 per person in just 31 days. This achievement underscores the potential of graduation photography when executed well!

While $49 per graduate is incredible, aiming for $20 per graduate is a more consistent target to aim for and achieve for both high school and college graduations. This benchmark is attainable with proper execution, although many events (such as CCP's) can surpass this figure!

Candid Color Photography has been a longtime user of NowCandid & GradPics Now, and is able to get the most out of the program thanks to their experience with the platform! But even in the beginning, they were able to see immediate improvements when switching to NowCandid for their graduations. In 2022, CCP transitioned 82 graduation ceremonies to the GradPics Now program, resulting in a significant 22% increase in sales per person on average, compared to their previous year's sales per person at those same ceremonies.

This switch not only boosted their sales, but it also led to an ~8% discount in their previous production & software costs. NowCandid's Workflows also saved them countless hours in post-event labor compared to their previous workflows.

While there are many factors that can impact your sales averages, here are some of the most important ones CCP keeps in mind at every graduation ceremony they photograph.

Key Strategies for Graduation Photography Success

Quality of Images:

Ensure each photo is properly lit and tightly cropped to create sellable images that appeal to your buyers.

Efficient Data Collection:

Utilizing Selfie Check-In with high participation rates ensures efficient data collection and marketing opportunities. Positioning staff with QR codes at strategic points, like check-in or holding areas, can streamline the process and enhance participant engagement.

Selfie Check-In in combination with using our Capture & Upload app will also allow you to sell to parents and graduates during the ceremony! In our experience and research, speed is one of the most underrated factors in increasing your sales.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, using Selfie Check-In facilitates the next item in our list in a huge way.

Volume of Images:

Using Selfie Check-In frees you from the shackles of sequencing, alignment, and keeping things in order. With it, you can be free to photograph graduates in any order, and add as many extra shots of your subjects as you can.

Beyond standard portraits and handshake moments, with Selfie Check-In enables capturing dynamic processional shots, candid buddy images before the ceremony, and family celebrations post-event.  Employing multiple photographers can facilitate comprehensive coverage.

These extra photos can significantly increase sales volume, as more photos translate to more sales opportunities. In addition to more sales opportunities, it also creates bigger personalized galleries to be marketed to your subjects! Bigger personalized galleries means bigger orders from your buyers.

Preparation is Key:

Having all necessary materials ready, such as your Event's Selfie Check-In QR code, charged batteries and backup equipment, and a clear plan for photo stations, handshake photo timings, and post-ceremony family shots, is essential. Coordination with educational institutions for logistical and promotional support can also yield better outcomes.

Graduation Success Stories from CCP

CCP’s methodical approach has been mirrored in the experiences of individuals like Jason J., Eric M., and Bruce H., whose stories of successful graduation photography projects highlight the effectiveness of these strategies.

Read more about their graduation success stories:

     -     Jason J. - Using Face Matching to its Fullest

     -     Eric M. - School’s Out, Earnings In: A Teacher's GradPics Now Success

     -     Bruce H. - How Bruce H. Used GradPics Now to Increase Sales

By adopting CCP’s proven methods, photographers can transform any graduation event into an even more lucrative opportunity.
Crowning Moments: Turning Prom Night into Profit with NowCandid
PartyPics
April 10, 2024

Crowning Moments: Turning Prom Night into Profit with NowCandid

5
 minutes read
Prom night is an iconic milestone in a high schooler’s life, brimming with fashion, friendships, and unforgettable memories.

While it's true that smartphones have made "everyone a photographer", professional prom photography remains a lucrative venture. Why? The answer lies in the quality that professional photos can offer, capturing prom night with a finesse that smartphones simply can't match.

The Profitability of Prom Photography

Prom photography can be highly profitable, with a target metric of $1.50 per image being a realistic benchmark for success. However, with the right approach, this figure can soar, as evidenced by a NowCandid's users Oklahoma City Prom, which achieved $2 per image across 3000 pictures taken, totaling $6000 in sales.

The key to serious profitability lies in having quantity, quality, and variety! An effective photographer using NowCandid has the ability to quickly deliver a professional, high-quality image gallery that will capture the attention of their subjects.

Why Proms are Still Profitable

  1. Social Media Influence: Today’s high schoolers live in a social media-centric world where the quality of a photo can greatly increase the quality of a post. Professional, well-lit, and expertly framed photos are in demand for their social media feeds, making them willing to purchase digital copies for their Instagram or Facebook profiles.
  2. Parental Investment: Parents are equally important customers in the prom photography market. They cherish these milestones and are often more than willing to purchase photos that capture their child’s special night. Using Selfie Check-In allows you to collect both the subject and the parents' contact info, marketing the subject's photos to both parties!
  3. Speedy Delivery: With the help of NowCandid, images can be available for purchase instantly. Selling images right away can benefit your overall sales thanks to impulse purchases people make when they are at their most excited about the Event.
  4. Unique Print Products: Unique print products alongside desirable images is always a combination that will generate extra sales! A variety of products be purchased, in addition to the usual prints and downloads. You can even upload an Event-specific custom banner to your Events to further make your product unique compared to the images subjects can take with their own phones - turning every photo into a memento!

Keys to Successful Prom Photography

  • Quality: While taking a substantial number of photos is important, ensuring the quality of your images increases their salability. Ensure each photo is well-lit and tightly cropped!
  • 2 Pics Per Minute: Aim for 2 pictures every minute, targeting 120+ per hour. These need to be unique images too - don't count duplicates! Utilize features like NowCandid’s LiveLoop to encourage guests to seek out photographers to get on the big screen.
  • Posing: Encourage a variety of poses to maximize the number of sellable images for any group you approach. After photographing a group of four, break the group into couples, ladies only, guys only, etc.
  • Photo Stations: Establish a dedicated photo area with an attractive backdrop suitable for individuals, couples, and groups, enhancing the variety and appeal of a subject's image gallery. Props are optional, but can be a fun addition. Also, a photo station is also a good place to station your less-social photographers, as guests will come to them!
  • Selfie Check-In Mastery: Achieving high participation in Selfie Check-In not only streamlines image delivery but also ensures a direct marketing channel to both students and their parents.
  • Strategic Staffing: Align the number of photographers with the expected guest count, aiming for one photographer per 100-150 guests to ensure comprehensive coverage of the event.
  • Strategic Compensation: Many successful social photographers pay their photographers based on how many unique (no duplicates) and sellable (good quality) images they take at a party. Consider paying $0.20 per sellable image with a minimum pay of $18 an hour, guaranteeing them decent pay but giving them room to take more images to make you both more money. (Example: 120 images an hour would be $24 an hour)

NowCandid: Your Partner in Capturing the Magic of Prom Night

NowCandid software is designed to streamline the photography process, from efficient image capture and upload to simplifying sales through intuitive galleries and easy online ordering.

With NowCandid, photographers can focus on what they do best—taking stunning photos—while the platform handles the logistics, making each prom a potential goldmine of photographic opportunities.

Success Stories to Inspire

Photographers like Tosha LaForest and Eric Miller have harnessed the power of NowCandid to amplify their school dance and event photography sales. Their experiences underscore the potential of well-executed prom and dance photography to significantly boost revenue and client satisfaction.

Prom photography, powered by NowCandid, offers a great option for photographers to expand their portfolios and profit margins. By focusing on quality, variety, and quantity, photographers can tap into the lucrative prom market, turning each dance into a profitable venture (and fun) venture.

Learn more, and join the ranks of successful prom photographers with NowCandid.

Visit our success stories to learn more and get inspired to capture the vibrant energy and timeless elegance of prom night.

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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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.

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