Hello, my wonderful photographers!

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Candy here, and welcome to another Weekly Recap. We’ve got a couple of handy feature updates, plus some exciting news about our upcoming Capture & Upload App release for iOS.

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Let’s dive in! 🌟

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1. Group Photo Option in GradPics 📸

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We’ve introduced a Group Photo toggle in the Manage Images tab for GradPics Events. When you mark an image as a Group Photo, here’s what happens:

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• Appears in Every Gallery: Regardless of face matching, every participant sees the group image in their personal gallery.
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• Exclusive Products: If your Event’s Offer includes any Group Photo products (like Group Photo Download or Group Photo Print), they’ll only be purchasable on those items.
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• No Group Photo Products? Then the group image behaves like a normal image, available on all your usual products.
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• Not in Personal Gallery Download: To avoid easy sharing of a big group image, we’re excluding Group Photos from any personal gallery download product for now.

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We’ve added a quick popup explanation when flagging an image as a Group Photo in the Web Dashboard, just in case someone clicks the Group Photo toggle by mistake. 🎉

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2. Personal Gallery Download Hiding Rule 🤫

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To help clients avoid confusion and refunds, we’re adding a new rule:

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• Hide Personal Gallery Download: If the Offer sells individual image downloads and a participant only has one image, we hide the personal gallery download.
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• Still Visible for One-Image Events: If your Offer doesn’t have individual downloads, the personal gallery download stays visible, even if the participant just has one photo.

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This little tweak prevents clients from accidentally buying a personal gallery download when they only need a single download. 🛒

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3. Heads-Up: Capture & Upload App 4.13 for iOS Only! 📱

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On Monday, December 30th, we’ll release Version 4.13 of the Capture & Upload App for iPhone & iPad. (Windows stays at 4.12 for now.) We’ve added some major updates:

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Please update one of your devices, test it out, and let us know if you catch any bugs. With so many devices, camera brands, and workflows out there, early feedback helps us fix issues quickly.

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4.13 Highlights

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1. Photo Booth Mode
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   • We launched an autonomous photo booth experience, allowing Nikon/Sony/Canon or the iPad’s internal camera to capture photos with background removal, filters, and more.
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   • For more details, check out our blog post: Candy’s 12 Days of Christmas Day 12 – Photo Booth Mode
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2. Overlays on Capture App Image Review
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   • Overlays now render directly over the captured images on the app (if the aspect ratio is supported).
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   • 3:2 aspect ratio photos are needed for full frame overlays, but any aspect ratio works for banner overlays.
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   • This lets you and your subjects see the art in real time, ensuring no important parts are covered!
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3. Out-of-Space Error Popup
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   • If your device is running low on space when a new image is taken, you’ll get an immediate error popup.
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   • Remember to regularly clear out old images via the app’s “Delete App Data” button in the info (i) menu to keep everything running smoothly.

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Minor Updates

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• Session data is now wiped when switching NowCandid accounts in the app, so "Restore Session" won't take you to an Event from a different account!
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• Event Shooting Buttons on Tablets now match iPhone UI (centered vertical menu).
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• Camera Trouble Popup includes a note about app permissions. (Always make sure to agree to all app permissions needed when the app is starting for the first time!)
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• Auto Remove Spaces from the account email on login. (some folks accidentally put a space and didn't know why they couldn't log in!)
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• Candy Splash Screen when the app is booting up now supports dark mode.

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Thanks for tuning into this shorter Weekly Recap. We hope these improvements help you finish the year strong! If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Candy 🍬

Hello, my festive photographers!

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Candy here, and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate.

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We’ve arrived at the 12th Day of Christmas, and I’m thrilled to unwrap our biggest new feature of 2024—Photo Booth Mode in the Capture & Upload App!

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The new NowCandid Capture & Upload App Version that includes Photo Booth Mode will be going live at the end of December,... this very month!

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Let’s get into the holiday spirit and explore everything this mode has to offer. 🎁

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What Is Photo Booth Mode? 🤶

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Photo Booth Mode is a brand-new option inside our Capture & Upload App—you’ll see a shiny new “Photo Booth” button once you log in to an Event and create a Folder (after the update of course).

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Give that Photo Booth button a tap, and voilà: your iPad turns into a photo booth station where guests can snap fun pictures with minimal hassle!

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• Multiple Camera Options: Tether a Nikon, Sony, or Canon camera, or use your iPad’s front-facing camera, depending on your particular photo booth setup.
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• Solid Internet Connection Required: The app downloads any custom overlays or backgrounds you’ve set on the web dashboard, and live-uploading images of course requires an internet connection, so stable Wi-Fi or LTE is essential!

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It’s perfect for holiday parties, corporate shindigs, weddings, or any event where a lighthearted photo booth can bring on the smiles!

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The Photo Booth Flow ⏱️

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Here’s how Photo Booth Mode keeps your guests engaged:

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1. Tap to Begin Screen: A dimmed live view awaits guests to tap and start. Once they do, the booth will let them know to get ready for three photos.
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2. Three Countdown Shots: Each shot has a 3-second countdown followed by a short preview of the taken pic after each shot. If your event uses a Bottom Banner Overlay or Full Frame Overlay, it shows up in the live view, so no one ends up hidden behind the graphics!
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3. Instant Delivery & Overlays: In Events using the QuicPics Program, each photo is sent via MMS with the overlay art included! And with every NowCandid Program, a gallery link is delivered where retail site users can download images and order photo products.

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Guests can hop in, pose, and receive fun, branded photos—no fuss required! 🎉

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On-Device Backgrounds & Filters 🎨

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Before finalizing those memorable pics, guests can personalize them right on the device:

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• Background Selection: If you’ve uploaded custom backgrounds on the web dashboard, the app fetches them before the booth session. Guests can pick from these in addition to several default backgrounds, great for holiday vibes or brand-specific themes.
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• ‍Filter Options: Classic filters like Noir, Sepia, Clarendon, and others let participants get creative.
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• ‍Reshoot Button: Not happy with the shot? Guests can “Reshoot” and start the session over at any time.

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This ensures a lively, interactive experience that encourages guests to come back for more snaps. ⛄

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Positive ID vs. Face Matching 🧐

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After styling, the next step depends on your event’s workflow:

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• For Face Matching Events: Guests are guided to tap the faces they see on-screen, and then can enter contact info for each face! If this is their first or only reference photo for the Event, it will also match them to shots taken outside the Photo Booth!
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• For Positive ID Events: A simpler approach: participants just type in their contact info and send off the images! Easy peasy.

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Either way, photos head straight to their phones via QuicPics (if you’re using that Program) and will always land in their personal gallery. 🔔

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Seamless Integration with NowCandid 💖

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Photo Booth Mode plugs right into your existing NowCandid features:

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• Selfie Check-In & LiveLoop: Photo booth images appear in your LiveLoop feed if you’re displaying one at the event. Selfie Check-Ins can still match participants to their booth photos too if they don't self-identify during their photo booth session!
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• QuicPics & PartyPics: The images upload instantly, letting your guests receive them right away via MMS (with QuicPics), or find them in their personal gallery for easy purchase or free download (with every Program).

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It’s the same NowCandid ecosystem you know—just dressed up in a festive booth format! 🎄

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Requirements & Limitations 🎅

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A few notes to keep in mind:

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• Camera Orientation:
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  • Nikon supports horizontal and vertical live view.
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  • Sony/Canon currently only support horizontal orientation for tethered cameras.
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• iPad-Only for Now:
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  • Photo Booth Mode works on iPad in vertical orientation, not on iPhone or Windows.
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• No Built-In Printing:
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  • If you need on-site prints, consider setting up your own print station with a computer and a printer! Use quic.pics/portal to access your Event images, and then download images with or without overlays to print them on-site.
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• We Value Feedback:
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  • Missing something? Let us know! Your input shapes our next updates.

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Why Photo Booth Mode Is a Holiday Treat 🎁

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• Interactive & Fun: Guests love choosing backgrounds, filters, and overlays, making the booth a memorable attraction.
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• Fully Integrated: Works seamlessly with QuicPics, PartyPics, LiveLoop, Face Matching, and more.
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• Revenue & Engagement Boost: Branded overlays, holiday backgrounds, or sponsor tie-ins can lead to higher sales and delighted clients.

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This mode is a surefire way to add a dash of cheer to any event—holiday-themed or otherwise! ✨

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That’s all for now, folks.

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We hope Photo Booth Mode adds a dash of magic to your season and beyond.

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And thank you for following along with our 12 Days of Christmas!

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Enjoy this new feature, and as always, keep capturing the moments that matter most.

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Reminder: The new NowCandid Capture & Upload App Version that includes Photo Booth Mode will be going live at the end of December, this month!

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Candy 🍬

Hello again, my ever-curious photographers! 🎅

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Candy here, and welcome to Day 11 of our 12 Days of Christmas countdown.

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Today’s spotlight is a feature still in its early stages, but full of potential: the Candy Account Integration (Beta). Since it’s Christmas Eve, what better time to peek at a promising work-in-progress?

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Key Highlights:

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• Account-Level Insights:
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  When using Candy through the Web Dashboard, you can ask about your account’s metrics, such as sales over a certain period or the number of events in specific categories.
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• A Learning AI Assistant:
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  Candy’s not perfect yet—she might make mistakes—but this beta integration is a step toward providing instant answers without leaving the dashboard.
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• Future Potential:
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  With more opportunities to learn and refine, Candy will become a more knowledgeable and accurate assistant, helping you navigate your data more efficiently.

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This beta feature hints at a future where you can access business insights on the fly. 🎉

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Check back tomorrow, December 25th, for the final day of our countdown. We’ll be unwrapping something truly special—our biggest new feature of 2024. Don’t miss it!

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Candy 🍬