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Big News: Introducing NowCandid’s All-New Web Dashboard! 🌟💻

Big News: Introducing NowCandid’s All-New Web Dashboard! 🌟💻
Hey there, amazing photographers!

Candy here with the latest and greatest update in our “Big News” series. We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Web Dashboard 2.0—the final piece in our massive overhaul of the entire NowCandid platform this year.

With this release, we’ve essentially delivered completely new versions of every aspect of NowCandid, including the Web Dashboard, Mobile Dashboard App, Capture & Upload App, and Retail Site. Welcome to a new era of NowCandid! 🎉

Want to check it out yourself? Head to (app.nowcandid.com) and log in!

A Whole New Experience 🚀

With Web Dashboard 2.0, you’ll notice a fresh, intuitive interface and a host of new features designed to make managing your photography business easier and more efficient.

Offer Creation is one of the biggest additions to the new Dashboard, but since we’ve already covered that in a previous blog post (click here to read that blog post), let’s dive into the other exciting updates! 🌐

New Home Tab: Stay on Top of Everything 🏠

Your new Home Tab provides an at-a-glance overview of recent activity in your account. You can quickly see orders, sales, and upcoming, active, or recent Events. We’ve also rebuilt the Sales & Events reports from the ground up.

These reports now include more filter options and can be easily downloaded, giving you the data you need, when you need it.

Expanded Event Management Tools 🎛️

Event creation may feel familiar, but there are now way more tools at your disposal for managing Events. Let’s dive into each of these new features!

Marketing History 📊

Now you can view the full marketing history for each Event directly from the dashboard. This lets you track all your promotional efforts and ensure things are running smoothly as your Event progresses.

Participant Management 👥

Participants are now fully visible and editable in the dashboard. You can also access and share their personal gallery links directly from this section, making it easier to manage and support your clients.

Roster Uploads 📋

Got a list of participants? You can now upload rosters directly to your Event, streamlining the process of adding participants manually and enabling NowCandid's (Name Lookup Workflow)

Full-Resolution Image Downloads 📸

Need to pull an image for a customer or event organizer? You can now download your full-resolution images directly from the Manage Images section of the dashboard.

Image Uploader Improvements 🖼️

The image uploader now checks all images for compatibility before uploading them. This includes checking for correct file type, DPI, color profile, and more, helping you (and us!) avoid production and support issues before they arise.

Custom Backgrounds 🌈

Add a personal touch to your Events with our new Custom Backgrounds feature. You can upload up to 4 custom backgrounds per Event, allowing your clients to choose a backdrop that suits their style.

Learn more in our (Custom Backgrounds blog post)

Full Frame Overlays 🎨

Our new Full Frame Overlay feature lets you apply full-frame graphics to your photos, giving them a unique, professional look.

Explore how this can enhance your photos in our (Full Frame Overlay blog post)

"Greek" Keyboard 🇬🇷

Now you can use a Greek keyboard when adding text titles to your photos, offering more personalization to Text Overlays for your fraternity and sorority clients.

Customizable QuicPics Texts ✉️

The “Your images are arriving soon” text that gets sent via QuicPics is now customizable! Tailor your messaging to better suit the tone and style of your Event, or even promote an Event's sponsor!

Event Management Portal: Selective Access for Photographers 🔑

Introducing the new Event Management Portal! This tool allows you to provide selective access to your Events for lead photographers without giving them full access to your account.

The portal uses the same email + passcode login as the Capture & Upload App and grants the user access to the following settings and features:

  • Image Viewing & Retail Image Visibility Settings
  • Manual Image Uploading
  • Participant Editing & Manual Participant Adding
  • All Gallery Access & Personal Galleries Access
  • LiveLoop URL Access
  • Image File Downloading
  • QR Code Access

This is perfect for giving your photographers the tools they need without compromising the security of your entire account. The portal can be accessed at (www.quic.pics/portal), so it doesn’t even mention NowCandid—keeping things sleek and professional.

Private Shareable Gallery URL 🌐

Need to share Event photos with an organizer? We’ve got you covered with a new private shareable downloadable gallery URL.

This makes it easy to provide event organizers with any photos they need, all in one convenient place, without transmitting hundreds of large image files via Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar services.

New Image Upload Tester 🧪

Worried about compatibility issues? The new image upload tester allows you to test a single image before even trying to upload it to your Event.

It checks for issues like color profile, DPI, file size, file type, and incompatible characters in the file name—making sure everything runs smoothly.

Rebuilt UI for Key Pages 🎨

We’ve also rebuilt the Account Settings, Resources, and FaceMatch Import pages from the ground up with a fresh new UI. These updates ensure a more intuitive and efficient experience across the (dash)board!

And More to Come… 🔮

We’re not done yet, folks! There’s more exciting stuff on the way, so stay tuned for future updates.

We can’t wait to see how you use our new Web Dashboard to take your photography business to the next level.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, we’re here to help!

Cheers and sparkles,


Candy 🍬

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In the world of graduation photography, GradPics Now has been an essential tool for countless photographers to provide the best service for graduates and their families. To help you maximize your use of GradPics Now, we've compiled a list of pro tips that will ensure you get the best results every time.

  1. Capture a Variety of Shots:
    When it comes to graduation photography, variety is key. Don't limit yourself to the traditional portrait and handshake photos. Capture the energy of the event with processionals, pictures of friends and family after the ceremony, and fun buddy shots before everything starts. Consider recessionals and a second portrait as well. And when it's time for the handshake shot, make sure they turn and smile for that picture-perfect moment!
  2. Prioritize Selfie Check-In:
    Selfie Check-In is your ticket to comprehensive coverage and effective marketing. Encourage every graduate to participate. Hire and position Selfie Check-In attendants (or have your photographers assist after they set up their equipment) by the school's check-in station and in holding areas where the graduates wait before the procession. Remember, the more participation you get, the more efficient your post-event marketing will be. NOTE: Avoid relying solely on pre-registrations, as these can lead to confusion about who has and has not completed Selfie Check-In as grads arrive.
  3. Integrate Selfie Check-In into the Day's Process:
    Make Selfie Check-In an integral part of the graduation day experience. Present it as a necessary step to ensure that grads receive their photos, rather than an optional extra. Phrase it as "Have you completed your Selfie Check-In?" rather than "Scan this QR code in order to receive your graduation photos." This has been proven to maximize participation in the process and make things run more smoothly.
  4. Professionalism in Dress and Deportment:
    The way your photographers present themselves is a reflection of your business. Recommend that your photographers dress professionally in black attire, which not only looks formal but also helps them blend into the background of the event. Blazers for men and dresses for women are always a good choice. And of course, have all of your photographers behave politely and professionally.

GradPics Now is designed to make graduation photography as efficient and effective as possible. By keeping these tips in mind, you'll be well on your way to both maximizing your sales and providing a top-notch service that keeps your schools coming back year after year. Happy shooting!

Meet Candy: The Newest Addition to the NowCandid Family
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Meet Candy: The Newest Addition to the NowCandid Family

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Hello NowCandid users!

We're excited to announce that Candy, our AI Chatbot Assistant, is now officially in open beta! As part of our ongoing commitment to making NowCandid the best photo sales software platform, we are constantly seeking new ways to enhance your user experience and overall efficiency. Candy is our latest step in that direction.

Candy is designed to be your personal assistant within NowCandid. She’s a dedicated, round-the-clock helper, designed to make your life easier. Whether you have a question about our workflows, need guidance on how to navigate our platform, or are looking for tips to maximize your photography sales, Candy is here to help.

As an AI-powered chatbot, Candy is always learning and evolving. She's quick, responsive, and doesn’t need coffee breaks! With her at your side, you'll have more time to focus on what you love—capturing those perfect moments.

But that's not all—Candy is in open beta because we want to make her the best she can be, and we need your help to do that. By interacting with Candy, you'll help us train her to become even more knowledgeable and efficient. Your questions, queries, and interactions will contribute to her learning process. It's a collaborative effort, and we're thrilled to have you be a part of it.

We're committed to making your NowCandid experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible, and we believe Candy is a significant step towards achieving that goal. We can't wait for you to meet her and see all the ways she can make your NowCandid journey easier.

So, dive in and start chatting with Candy! Remember, every question you ask her helps make her smarter. Let's shape the future of NowCandid together! https://www.nowcandid.com/candy

As always, we want to thank you for being a part of the NowCandid community. Your continued support and feedback are what drive us to keep innovating. We look forward to hearing about your experiences with Candy.

Happy snapping!

The NowCandid Team

Assemble Your Photography A-Team: Tips for Hiring and Training Photographers
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Assemble Your Photography A-Team: Tips for Hiring and Training Photographers

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As the great philosopher Voltaire once said, "With great power comes great responsibility." Well, maybe it was actually Uncle Ben from Spider-Man, but the point still stands! As your photography business grows, you'll need to expand your team and delegate tasks. In this blog post, we'll share tips on hiring and training photographers to help you build your very own photography A-Team. And with the support of NowCandid, you'll be well on your way to a thriving photo business.

1. Define Your Ideal Photographer:
Before you start hiring, take the time to define the qualities and skills you're looking for in a photographer. Consider the specific niches your business covers, your brand identity, and the type of work environment you aim to create.

2. Scout for Talent:
Look for photographers through local photography clubs, online communities, social media, and job boards. Reach out to your network and ask for recommendations. When you can’t find photographers, find social, outgoing personalities, and train them to be photographers! Oftentimes, an outgoing person trained to be a photographer is an easier prospect than training a shy photographer to be outgoing.

3. Conduct Thorough Interviews:
During the interview process, ask questions that allow candidates to showcase their skills, experience, and personality. Review their portfolios, ask for references, and consider conducting a trial shoot to see how they perform in action.

4. Offer Competitive Compensation:
To attract top talent, offer competitive compensation packages that include fair wages, bonuses, and potential for growth within your company. If you compensate with base pay + a per image rate, be sure to paint the picture of what their pay would be if they were successful in taking a lot of pictures at an event!

5. Invest in Training and Development:
Once you've hired your team of photographers, invest in their ongoing training and development. Encourage them to attend workshops, webinars, and conferences to stay updated with industry trends and techniques. Use some of NowCandid's training resources, as it can help streamline the training! And don’t forget to always keep them connected with your business's core values.

6. Establish Clear Expectations:
Set clear expectations for your photographers regarding their roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics. Regularly review their progress and provide constructive feedback to help them grow and improve.

7. Foster a Positive Work Environment:
Create a supportive, collaborative work environment where your photographers feel valued and motivated. Encourage open communication, provide opportunities for team-building activities, and celebrate your team's successes.

Hiring and training photographers for your business is a crucial step in scaling your operations and ensuring long-term success. By defining your ideal photographer, scouting for talent, and investing in their development, you can build a strong, capable team that will help your business soar to new heights. Embrace your role as a leader, and assemble your photography A-Team with confidence!

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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