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Crowning Moments: Turning Prom Night into Profit with NowCandid

Crowning Moments: Turning Prom Night into Profit with NowCandid
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.

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Candy’s Weekly Recap: Simple Check-In™, New Products Report, and Lots More ✨
Feature Updates
February 7, 2025

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Simple Check-In™, New Products Report, and Lots More ✨

9
 minutes read
Hello, my fabulous photographers!

Candy here, ready to sprinkle some sparkle on your day with our latest Weekly Recap. We’ve been hard at work enhancing your NowCandid™ experience, and I’m thrilled to share all the juicy new features. Let’s dive in!

1. Simple Check-In™ for Positive ID Events 🤳

We’re introducing a brand-new way to make your Name Lookup and Scanner ID™ Workflows even smoother:

  • Single QR Code: Print just one QR code for the entire event. Participants scan it, enter their name and contact info, and a “blank” participant is instantly created—no selfie required.
  • Photographer & Wallet Benefits: Photographers can now quickly search by name if the event uses Name Lookup, or if the participant adds the pass to Apple Wallet (Google Wallet coming very soon), you can scan them later for Scanner ID™.
  • No More Bulk Scan Cards: Skip printing individual codes for everyone—one event code can do it all!

Scan Cards are still great in many situations, so this isn't a replacement - just an addition! Something to make the Name Lookup & Scanner IDWorkflows even more flexible!

Accessible by clicking the QR code within a Positive ID Event's Management Page

2. New Products Report 📈

We’ve introduced a new Products Report on your NowCandid™ web dashboard:

  • Most-Purchased & Highest-Revenue Products: See which items or packages your clients love most.
  • Standard Filters: Use the same powerful search options you know—by event, date range, program type, Event Tag, and more.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Identify your top performing items and make more informed Custom Offer adjustments!

If you’ve been curious which prints, downloads, or merch are hot, this is your new go-to spot!

Accessible from the Home tab of the web dashboard

3. Image Management Additions:

Multi-Select Enhancements 🛠️

We’ve expanded multi-select capabilities in Manage Images to handle even more tasks at once:

  • GroupTags: Now you can edit or remove GroupTags™ for all selected images simultaneously.
  • Select All Visible: Quickly grab every image on the current page to speed up those bulk actions.

Accessible using the multi-select button within an Event's Manage Images page

New Folder-Wide Options 📂

We also added a new Edit Folder button when a folder is selected:

  • Change Folder Visibility: Toggle an entire folder’s images between visible or invisible.
  • Group Status: Mark them as Group Photos or individual images in one go.
  • GroupTag: Apply the same GroupTag™ to every image in the folder—super handy for sorting large event albums.

Mass management, simplified!

Accessible using the Edit Folder button within an Event's Manage Images page

4. Face Matching™ Formula Switch 🧩

We added a new toggle in Edit Event to adjust how strict or lenient our Face Matching™ algorithm is:

  • Stricter Matching for Kids: If you’re dealing with lots of little ones who keep popping up in the wrong gallery, flip this switch for fewer “extra” matches.
  • Default Remains Flexible: Our usual method still works great for most events. If needed, you can always manually unassign images from a participant in the dashboard.

Less confusion, more accurate galleries—everyone wins!

Accessible when editing a Face Matching type Event

5. Manage Images: New Filter Menu 🖼️

We’ve reorganized the Manage Images page with a dedicated menu for filters:

  • Cleaned-Up UI: Too many filters were crowding the page; now they’re in one easy-to-access spot.
  • Clear Active Filters: It’s easier to see what’s on and what’s off, plus you can remove filters with a single click.

Navigating your images should feel more intuitive and less cluttered than before.

Accessible using the Filters button within an Event's Manage Images page

6. Image Timeline Screenshot Download ⏱️

Our Image Timeline feature now has a handy Download Screenshot button:

  • Quick Sharing: Snap a chart of your shooting pace or AI analysis and send it to your photographers or team.
  • Easy Feedback: Show them exactly where the busy or slow spots were without extra steps.

A small detail that can make a big difference for team communication.

Accessible using the Camera-icon button on an Event's Image Timeline page

7. Event Tag Add Popup Improvements 🏷️

When adding events to a tag from the Event Tags page:

  • Select Multiple Events at Once: No need to add them one by one.
  • Filtered Display: It only shows events that don’t already have that tag, saving clicks and confusion.

A quicker way to keep your events organized and ready for deeper insights.

Accessible using the Add Events to Tag button on the Event Tags page of the Web Dashboard

8. Marketing Tweak: Day0 with Group-Only Galleries ✉️

If a participant’s personal gallery only contains Group Photos, Day0 marketing won’t trigger:

  • Fewer Unnecessary Texts/Emails: Prevents those “here’s your gallery!” messages when there’s not much for them to see yet.
  • Smarter Outreach: Focus your marketing on participants who have individual images waiting.

This slight change can tidy up the user experience for your SportsPics™ or GradPics™ events.

9. Capture App 4.13.71 (iOS Only) 🍏

Some app updates for iPhone/iPad users:

  • iPad UI Fix: Addresses a bug when launching in portrait mode.
  • Photo Booth Mode Backgrounds: Hidden on iPads running iOS < 17.
  • Event Number: Now appears next to the event name, so you’re less likely to shoot under the wrong event.
  • Volume Trigger Fix: The internal camera capture now works again for devices that had issues after recent iOS changes—great news for those using volume-based triggers!

That’s it for this Weekly Recap!

We hope these upgrades help you handle your events faster, deliver better experiences to your clients, and keep the momentum going all year long.

As always, let us know if you have any questions, ideas, or just want to say hi.

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Did You Know? NowCandid™ Offers Retail Background Generation! ✨
NowCandid 101
February 5, 2025

Did You Know? NowCandid™ Offers Retail Background Generation! ✨

2
 minutes read
Hello, fabulous photographers!

Candy here, bringing you another “Did You Know?” feature highlight. Today’s spotlight is on a super-fun (and sometimes overlooked) part of our NowCandid™ retail site: AI-Generated Backgrounds for background-removed images. Let’s dive in!

AI Background Generation

When customers view or customize their images that have had their backgrounds removed, they’ll see an option inviting them to type in a text description of what they want behind them. Maybe it’s a colorful beach scene, a dreamy sunset, a whimsical forest—whatever the imagination conjures up! Our site will generate a fresh design tailored to that text prompt, giving them a truly unique final product.

Why It Matters

  • Personalized Shopping Experience: No two images look the same when customers can request different scenes. It’s perfect for capturing each individual’s tastes and vibes.
  • Boosts Sales: The novelty factor of typing in a text prompt and watching a new background appear can encourage customers to experiment—and buy more customized images.
  • Booking Tool: Using this feature as a sales tool to help you book parties, sports leagues, or anything else can be a way to get a gatekeeper's attention!

How It Works

  1. Choose a Background-Removed Image: When browsing the NowCandid™ retail site, customers click on an image that’s had its background removed.
  2. Enter a Text Prompt: A simple text field awaits—“sunset on a calm lake,” “abstract rainbow swirl,” “comic book city,” etc.
  3. Watch It Appear: The site blends the subject with the newly generated backdrop. Customers can finalize it right there, or try another prompt until they’re happy.

Retail Theme: Liquorice

That’s your little “Did You Know?” tip for today!

We hope you’ll tell your clients about this magical customization option—it might spark new ideas (and more sales!) for their photos.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, let us know.Until next time, keep capturing those unforgettable moments! ✨

Cheers and sparkles,


Candy 🍬

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Multi-Select, Event Tags & More! ✨
Feature Updates
January 24, 2025

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Multi-Select, Event Tags & More! ✨

9
 minutes read
Hello, my fabulous photographers!

Candy here, ready to sprinkle some sparkle on your day with our newest Weekly Recap. We’ve been hard at work improving your NowCandid™ experience, and I’m excited to share all the juicy details. Let’s dive in!

1. Select System in Manage Images 🖼️

We’re introducing a Multi-Select feature to the Manage Images interface:

  • Multi-Select Button: Highlight multiple images at once.
  • Bulk Actions: After choosing your set, tap “Select” at the bottom. You can:
    • Mark them Invisible or Visible
    • Download them all in a single zip file
    • Toggle them as Group Photos or Individual all at once
  • Speedy Management: No more one-by-one adjustments. This should help you power through large batches of images in a fraction of the time!

2. Event Tags 🏷️

There’s a brand-new Extras tab in the Web Dashboard navigation, featuring our new Event Tags tool:

  • Creating Tags: Assign tags to your events (e.g., “Prom,” “Winter Formal,” etc.).
  • Filtering by Tag: On the Events List or in your Events Report, choose an Event Tag to instantly see only those events.
  • Performance Insights: Group your events by theme and get a quick view of how each set is performing all at once.

Tagging is perfect for photographers juggling multiple event types, letting you spot patterns and trends with ease.

Just two Events on this Event tag, but you can add lots!

3. Updates to the Faces Report 👥

Our Faces Report—released last week—has already received some polish:

  • New Revenue Line: Alongside face counts in the chart, you’ll now see a revenue line.
  • Compare Image Types & Sales: See whether couples, solos, or big group shots bring in the most orders.
  • Informed Future Shooting: Focus your time at events on what sells best—maybe it’s the big friend groups or the sweet one-on-one moments.

This view helps you refine your event coverage strategy for max impact.

Ignore the low sales, it was a test Event!

4. Image Details Page 📝

While managing images in your events, you’ll notice a “Details, Logs, and more” link on each image:

  • Expanded Meta Data: Discover camera settings, image size, camera type, and more.
  • Face Matching™ Logs: See if and when a face got paired to a participant; even jump directly to that participant’s gallery.
  • Advanced Troubleshooting: Ideal for debugging customer issues or satisfying your own curiosity about each shot.

It’s more info than we’ve ever provided, so have fun geeking out over the details!

So much image file info and image history now!

5. Big Improvements to the Web Dashboard Image Uploader

Finally, a behind-the-scenes upgrade that’ll make your day-to-day life easier:

  • Upload Up to 5000 Images: Jumping from 1000, so you can batch bigger events in fewer steps.
  • Faster Transfers: As long as you have decent upload speeds, the process should feel snappier overall.
  • Lower CPU Demand: Less strain on your computer, letting you multi-task without slowing to a crawl.

Sometimes it’s the quiet changes under the hood that make the biggest difference.

6. Tiered Pricing Now Live 🎉

After last week’s preview, Tiered Pricing is officially rolled out to SportsPics™, PartyPics™, GradPics™, and other sales-driven events:

  • Upgraded Text & Email Campaigns: We’ve refined the promotional messages to match your Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3 pricing tiers, giving your buyers a clear sense of each week’s small price bump.
  • 365-Day Marketing SMS Replaced with 180: We’ve shortened the final reminder’s timeline from a year to 180 days, aligning better with your event marketing cycle and typical follow-up patterns.

If you haven’t explored Tiered Pricing yet, check it out in your Offer Creator and see how these incremental price changes (and updated marketing) might boost your sales!

That’s all for this week, my wonderful NowCandid™ community.

I hope these new features and improvements empower you to breeze through event management and deliver an even better experience to your clients. As always, if you have questions or feedback, give us a shout.

Until next time—keep capturing those unforgettable moments! ✨

Candy 🍬

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