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Holiday Gear Up

Holiday Gear Up
Are you ready for the Holiday Season?

Maybe not since we have roughly 10 weeks to go. For most photographers, the winter months can bring a noticeable slowdown, but this also presents the perfect opportunity to seize seasonal event opportunities like Santa Portraits and holiday parties.

These festive events are in high demand, and with the right tools, you can make the most out of them!

We want to share a success story from a Santa Portrait Event that took place in the last few years, along with how NowCandid’s Workflows can help you maximize your success this holiday season.

Santa Portrait Station Success

Rachel S., a photography business owner from South Florida, a few years ago landed a Santa Portrait event at a Zoo and turned it into a HUGE win. With Candid's Scanner ID Workflow, Rachel was able to use the same techniques of a typical sports or school picture day and apply them to the Holiday Zoo Lights Santa Event.

To manage the event, Rachel used the Scanner ID Workflow, and generated blank QR cards to pass out to people while they waited in line.

The QR codes were scanned by the guests who then paired their contact info with their QR code! Once they got to the front of the line, Rachel's photographers would scan the next guest's QR with their tethered device, and then take their photos!

The device tethered to the camera would then upload the photos right after they were taken!

With the contact info and pictures both in the system, gallery links were then automatically texted directly to the subjects, right away.

Overall, this event garnered over $42,000 in it's first year!!! Not bad for a couple weeks of work!

NowCandid Workflows: Make Your Holiday Events a Breeze

One of the key elements to success in high-volume holiday events is efficiency—and that’s where NowCandid’s Workflows come into play.

These workflows streamline the process of capturing, organizing, and delivering photos, allowing you to focus more on your artistry and client experience.

Here are two workflows you’ll want to use during your Santa sessions and holiday parties:

  1. Scanner ID: The Workflow Rachel used! It's great for efficiently collecting guest contact info while they are in line, letting you move the line along more quickly OR have more time available for additional photos. Contact info is essential for instant image delivery and post-shoot marketing.
  2. Type & Take: This works similarly to the Scanner ID Workflow, except you type the subject's contact info into your tethered device before photographing them. It is not as time efficient at Scanner ID, but it doesn't require you to print out many blank cards before the event!

Seasonal Retail Theme to Add to the Experience

The holiday fun doesn't stop at the event—it continues when your customers view and purchase their images! With our Candy Cane retail theme, your clients are immersed in the festive spirit as soon as they visit their personal image gallery.

Our themes include delightful touches like falling snowflakes, which gently drift across the screen. These animations help enhance the shopping experience and keep customers wrapped up in the magic of the season.

Theme: Candy Cane - Watermarking: Default

Use Overlay Art to Add a Special Touch

If you're looking to elevate the experience further, NowCandid offers Overlay Art, allowing you to add optional customized overlays to your clients' images.

These titles add a festive, personal touch to the photos, making them feel extra special, whether it's a corporate holiday party, a Santa session, or a family Christmas gathering.

Imagine sending clients their Santa Portraits, complete with a “Merry Christmas 2024” overlay or a custom-designed title that reflects the spirit of the season. It’s little touches like these that make clients feel valued and excited about your services—leading to more referrals and repeat business.

Why You Shouldn't Sleep on Holiday Opportunities

The holiday season offers some of the most lucrative photography opportunities of the year, especially when it comes to events like Santa Portrait sessions, corporate holiday parties or large family and friends gatherings.

With many photographers considering this time a "slow season," there's an opportunity to stand out from the crowd by offering fun, engaging photo experiences that families, organizations, and individuals will love.

Adding these events to your services can also build lasting relationships with your clients—because who doesn’t want to make holiday memories they’ll treasure forever?

Don't Miss Out: Prep for the Holidays Now

The key to success is preparation. Start planning your Santa sessions, promote your holiday event photography, and make sure you're using NowCandid’s powerful tools to handle your Events with ease.

And remember: festive cheer isn’t just for clients. By embracing the holiday season and seizing these photography opportunities, you can fill your calendar and finish the year strong.

Cheers, and may there be many holiday events in your future!

Candy 🍬

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This week we’ve got a shiny new Capture App release, smoother dashboards, smarter Candy (that’s me! 🍬), and some retail fixes to keep things running smoothly.

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📱 Capture App 4.20.6

  • 🔌 Camera adapter popup will now dismiss itself if a camera connects while it’s open
  • 💤 CamFi stays active after periods of inactivity
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  • “Close” on certain popups is now “Dismiss” to prevent confusion
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📋 Dashboard Improvements

  • 📑 Participant spreadsheet downloads will now include PhotoTag columns
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The new image preview user interface!

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🍬 Candy Upgrades

  • 🧠 I got smarter (yes, really!)
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Try it for yourself!

That’s all for this week! 💫

From a stronger Capture App to bigger previews and smarter Candy, we’ve got you covered.

Keep being amazing,


Candy 🍬

Weekly Recap: Positive ID Upgrade, Wallet Glow-Up & Capture App Fixes 📱🛍️
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Hey photo friends!

Lots of small but meaningful updates this week—making check-ins better, dashboards clearer, retail orders more polished, and Capture App workflows smoother.

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✅ Positive ID Improvement

  • 👥 Additional Contact support for Simple Check-In & Scan Card Check-In

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This feature was previously limited to Selfie Check-In and Face Matching Events!

📋 Dashboard Improvements

  • 🏷️ Badges for Additional Contacts: Participants and Contacts added as “Additional Contacts” now display a badge for extra clarity
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Retail site renders have also been updated to match the upgraded wallets!

📱 Capture App 4.20.4 (iOS)

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That’s a wrap for this week! 💫

Whether you’re checking in guests, managing contacts, or delivering polished wallets, these updates should make your work a little smoother.

Keep being amazing,

Candy 🍬

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Hey photo friends!

We’ve got a bunch of tidy little upgrades this week—making rosters cleaner, products better, and the Capture App easier to use on busy Positive ID shoots. Here’s what’s new:

📋 Dashboard Improvements

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🏷️ Auto-create PhotoTags: Uploading a Positive ID Roster with new tags? They can now be created automatically in the Event at the same time

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🛠️ Small but Mighty Fixes

🏷️ Retail shipping & billing default now set to “Select” instead of "Alabama"

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📂 CSV roster uploads now supported (not just Excel files)

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That’s a wrap for this week! 💫

From cleaner rosters to new products, these changes should make your workflow smoother and your galleries better.

Keep being amazing,

Candy 🍬

Let’s get in touch

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