As we move past the mid-way point of graduation season, it's a perfect time to reflect on the key takeaways and strategies that can boost your photography business in these last handful of ceremonies.

‍

The impact of using NowCandid's GradPics Now program has been significant for photographers working both large and small events. Here’s a look at what we've learned so far and how you can make the most of the remaining graduations.
‍

Tips for a Successful Graduation Season
‍

1. Prioritize Speed Over Extensive Retouching

‍

‍In the fast-paced environment of graduation ceremonies, the quick delivery of photos can significantly boost your sales. Focus on capturing the best possible shots in-camera and ensure speedy delivery to clients.

‍

2. Stick to SRGB Color Profiles for Retouching

‍

‍If retouching is necessary, save images in an SRGB color profile. This ensures consistency and vibrancy across all viewing platforms, enhancing the overall appeal of your photos to clients.

‍

3. Use Direct Flash to Enhance Image Quality

‍

‍Proper lighting is crucial, especially in the varied environments of graduation venues. Using direct flash can help mitigate common lighting issues such as facial shadows, ensuring your subjects are evenly lit and stand out.

‍

4. Be Prepared: Carry Extra Batteries and a Backup Camera

‍

‍Always be prepared for the unexpected. Carry extra batteries and a backup camera to all events. This ensures uninterrupted shooting, even if your primary camera fails or batteries run out.

‍

NowCandid Best Practices: Selfie Check-In Workflow

‍

NowCandid's Selfie Check-In workflow is designed to streamline the graduation photography process, making it easier for photographers to manage large events and ensuring every graduate's moment is captured. Here's how to effectively use this feature:

‍

• Ensure Participation: Encourage every graduate to use the Selfie Check-In upon arrival. Consider assigning assistants to facilitate this process and ensure a smooth workflow.
  ‍
• Visibility: Utilize multiple QR code placements—signs, lanyards, and handheld QR code signs—to ensure no one misses out. This increases the chances of capturing every graduate.
  ‍
• Extended Reach: Gather information not just from graduates, but also their families. This expands your marketing reach and increases the potential for sales.

‍

Highlighting Best Performing Graduations with NowCandid

‍

The power of NowCandid's tools is evident in the outstanding performance of several recent graduation events:

‍

• An Oklahoma Medical College Commencement
  • ~150 graduates
  • ~$65 sales per graduate
  • ~$9,750 in sales

‍

• An Oklahoma Graduate School Commencement
  • ~115 graduates
  • ~$41.50 sales per graduate
  • ~$4,772.50 in sales

‍

• A Louisiana Medical College Commencement
  • ~175 graduates
  • ~$40 sales per graduate
  • ~$7,000 in sales

‍

• A Louisiana College Commencement
  • ~250 graduates
  • ~$37.50 sales per graduate
  • ~$9,375 in sales

‍

• An Alaska College Graduation Ceremony
  • ~100 graduates
  • ~$21 sales per graduate
  • ~$2,100 in sales

‍

All these events were photographed in the last two months, showcasing the incredible potential of leveraging NowCandid for your graduation photography needs.

‍

Ready to Elevate Your Graduation Photography?

‍

There's still time to use NowCandid for your upcoming graduation events. If you have any questions or need help setting up an event, our experts Jack and Darwin are here to assist you.

‍

Schedule a session with them today at https://calendly.com/nowcandid-training to ensure you're fully prepared to make this graduation season your most successful yet!

We have talked about graduations a lot in our blog posts lately, as we try to help photographers be as prepared as possible for graduation season this year. And now, it's time to look at some numbers, and see what kinds of Events are performing well so far. After which, we'll discuss the findings.

‍

Small Graduations Leading the Way 🌟

‍

As the title implies, small graduations (graduations in the 50-250 graduate range) have been some of the top performers so far this grad season. While some larger graduations have more total sales overall thanks to the large number of participants, certain smaller graduations have sales per graduate averages that blow large graduations out of the water.

‍

Below are a few examples of GradPics Now graduations that have taken place in either April or May of this year. Keep in mind these are sales so far and being these Events are recent, these numbers will continue to rise.

‍

Note: Many details have been removed, summarized, or approximated to preserve privacy for all parties involved with these Events.

‍

• An Oklahoma Medical School Graduation
  • ~100 graduates
  • ~$48 sales per graduate
  • ~$4,800 in sales

‍

• A Kansas Medical School Graduation
  • ~150 graduates
  • ~$49 sales per graduate
  • ~$7,350 in sales

‍

• A Texas Ring Ceremony
  • ~200 graduates
  • ~$46.50 sales per graduate
  • ~$9,300 in sales

‍

• A Louisiana High School Graduation
  • ~75 graduates
  • ~$31 sales per graduate
  • ~$2,325 in sales

‍

• A Small Arkansas College Graduation
  • ~250 graduates
  • ~$31.50 sales per graduate
  • ~$7,875 in sales

‍

5 quick examples, 5 different locations, and even some variety in terms of the type of ceremony. But all of them were relatively small. And yet, their sales per graduate averages far exceed the $20 sales per graduate benchmark we expect photographers to hit when doing a good job of implementing GradPics Now's best practices.

‍

Why Are Small Graduations Excelling? 🤔

‍

Are these more intimate graduation ceremonies more conducive to better photography? OR, is this a question of staffing? Perhaps it is simply easier to execute Selfie Check-In well, and take more pictures per graduate when there are fewer graduates to photograph. Several of these top-performing Events are related to medical schools; could that demographic have a lot of overlap with photo-buyers?

‍

As always, the answer is likely a mix of all the above. However, I suspect that the most influential factor is the staffing.

‍

Many photographers, especially those using NowCandid, are either just branching out into graduations for the first time or are just beginning their journey of scaling up and growing their photo business. To maximize your graduation sales, you need good quality pictures and a lot of them. Getting a strong image per graduate count is one of the best ways to improve your sales and sales per graduate averages - second only to doing a good job with Selfie Check-In for the Event.

‍

Photographers that are new to graduations or still working to grow their business likely cannot send a large enough staff to large graduation ceremonies to cover them as effectively as the same staff could cover a smaller graduation. With a better photographer-to-graduate ratio, it becomes easier to focus on getting good pictures and increasing your image per graduate averages, and thus, better sales per graduate averages.

‍

What This Means for You 📊

‍

All in all, following the best practices we have outlined in our recent graduation-related posts are the best ways to increase your graduation sales and to provide both yourself and your customers with a smooth, streamlined graduation experience:

‍

• Pro Tips for GradPics Now Users: Get the Most Out of Your Graduation Photography
  ‍
• Darwin's Quick Tips for Mastering Graduation Photography
  ‍
• Grad Season Preparation: Schedule a Pre-Grad Chat with Jack
  ‍
• Why GradPics Now?

‍

But perhaps we have not talked enough about proper staffing, as the exceptional averages at certain smaller ceremonies outshining NowCandid's larger ceremony averages are noteworthy.

‍

And of course, maybe most importantly of all, is to realize that small graduations can be extremely lucrative when care is put into them! So, consider booking some of the smaller graduations you may have shied away from in the past. Plus, it can be helpful to avoid putting all your eggs into just a few large graduations you have. Schools can be fickle, and you never know when one may decide to switch providers.

‍

That's all for now!

‍

Happy snapping,

‍

Jack III

Streamline Your Graduation Photography Business with NowCandid! 🎓📸

‍

Hey there, amazing photographers! It's Candy, your cheerful guide from NowCandid, here to make your graduation season smoother and more profitable than ever. 🌟

‍

With the grad season in full swing, NowCandid is your ultimate partner in simplifying your workflow, boosting your sales, and keeping your customers delighted. Let's explore how NowCandid can revolutionize your photography business this graduation season!

‍

Why Choose NowCandid for Your Photography Business?

‍

Graduations are a golden opportunity to capture cherished memories and grow your business. But handling the logistics can be overwhelming. That’s where NowCandid comes in, making the entire process hassle-free for you.

‍

1. Selfie Check-In: Streamlined Image Delivery

‍

‍Our Selfie Check-In feature collects contact information and selfies from event participants, creating a reference image paired with their contact info. This enables our face matching process to automatically organize photos into personal galleries and deliver links via text and email. It’s a convenient and efficient tool for both you and your clients, ensuring the right images get to the right people right away. 🎉

‍

2. Live-Uploading: Flexible Photo Upload Options

‍

‍With NowCandid, you have the flexibility to upload photos during the event or right after. During the event, tether your camera to a cellular-enabled device like an iPhone, LTE iPad, or LTE Windows tablet for real-time uploads. Alternatively, you can upload photos via the web dashboard after the event. Either way, once an image matches a subject's selfie, it’s added to their personal gallery and delivered instantly. 🚀

‍

3. Face Matching: Boost Your Sales

‍

‍Our Face Matching technology doesn’t just save you time – it can significantly increase your sales. Here’s how:

‍

• More Photos, More Sales: With Face Matching, you can take more photos at the graduation without worrying about organizing them. The more photos per graduate, the higher the chances of making a sale and increasing the average order size.
  ‍
• Faster Marketing: Face Matching allows you to market photos to subjects faster than ever. Quick delivery capitalizes on the emotional high of the event, making subjects more likely to purchase. Delaying image delivery for editing often results in missed sales opportunities.

‍

4. Background Removal: Offer More Choices to Your Clients

‍

‍Our automated Background Removal service gives your clients more options by removing the background behind subjects, allowing them to choose from a variety of backgrounds in different colors and settings. This feature turns one image into multiple choices, enhancing customer satisfaction and increasing sales. 🌈

‍

Boost Your Sales and Simplify Operations

‍

Graduation season is a prime time to maximize your revenue. Here’s how NowCandid can help you achieve that:

‍

Transparent Reporting: Monitor Your Success

‍

‍Our platform provides transparent reporting, giving you insights into sales per order, profit margins, and order statuses. With these metrics at your fingertips, you can make informed decisions to grow your business. 📈

‍

No Subscription Fees: We Earn When You Do

‍

‍At NowCandid, we succeed when you do. Our revenue model is based on a portion of your sales, with no subscription fees. This means our goals are perfectly aligned with yours, ensuring we always strive for your success. 💪

‍

Customer Support: We’ve Got Your Back

‍

‍NowCandid handles retail customer support, allowing you to focus on photography while we take care of your clients’ queries and issues. This means happier customers and less stress for you. 📞

‍

Integrated Lab: Better Deals and Faster Delivery

‍

‍With NowCandid’s own lab, you get a better deal (financially) than you can find anywhere else. This setup simplifies support by eliminating the need for multiple vendors for software and fulfillment.

‍

Plus, our fully integrated, all in-house software-to-lab system ensures optimal image delivery times, so your clients receive their photos faster and with superior quality. 🏭

‍

Schedule a Call and Maximize Your Potential!

‍

Ready to make this graduation season your best yet? Schedule a call with us via our Calendly to review best practices, discuss strategies, and get personalized tips to enhance your business. Our team is here to support you every step of the way. 📞

‍

Join the NowCandid Family Today!

‍

With NowCandid, you have all the tools you need to streamline your operations, boost your sales, and keep your customers delighted. Let's make this graduation season a massive success together. Sign up today and experience the NowCandid difference! ✨

‍

Happy photographing! 📸

‍

Warmest regards,

‍

Candy 💖

‍