HomeNavigation arrowBlogNavigation arrow
Current page
Success Stories

School’s Out, Earnings In: A Teacher's GradPics Now Success

School’s Out, Earnings In: A Teacher's GradPics Now Success
Time for another success story!

For years, graduation photography has played a crucial role in capturing the pivotal moments of grads. Not only are these professional photos treasured keepsakes, but they also present substantial income opportunities for photographers.

Consider the story of Eric, a high school photography teacher and small business owner. Eric ventured into a graduation event with NowCandid's platform, intending to photograph around 500 graduates. He had modest expectations, aiming to generate about $1,200 in sales. What unfolded next, however, far exceeded even his most optimistic projections.

In his very first event using NowCandid, the earnings soared past expectations!

Almost reaching an astounding $12,000 within only seven days after the event. Such a windfall was not only a personal victory for the teacher but also a testament to NowCandid's potential to transform event photography. So far (as of publishing this article), the event has reached well over $15,000. A far cry from his initially predicted $1,200.

 

Sharing his success in an email to his onboarding trainer, Darwin Drake, the photography teacher expressed his profound amazement and gratitude. "I am at $6,700 earned and counting. I am beyond speechless. I'm gobsmacked. I'm overjoyed. I am stunned." (And that reaction was before it hit $12,000 days later!)

 

A friends & family photo taken after the ceremony by Eric & his photographers.

But the triumph of this story goes beyond the impressive earnings.

As a teacher, Eric was able to bring his students onboard, teaching them practical skills while also providing them with paid experience. "I hired 4 of my current and former photography students for this event," he wrote, "and as a teacher and small business owner I am so profoundly thankful to be able to teach them and pay them."

 

Eric and some students in Berlin at a graffiti workshop just days after their successful graduation ceremony.

This story highlights the remarkable opportunities that NowCandid can bring to photographers and entrepreneurs.

Whether you're a professional photographer seeking to maximize your earnings, a teacher nurturing the next generation of photographers, or a business owner eager to expand your reach, NowCandid can provide the platform and tools you need to achieve your goals.

In event photography, moments become memories, and for a photographer: memories are opportunities!

Eric's experience shows, that with the right tools and workflow, it is more possible (and easier!) than ever before to monetize your photography in a big way.

Enjoy some more photos taken by Eric & his photographers below!

NowCandid Event Settings & Numbers Breakdown

Program: GradPics Now

Workflow: Selfie Check-In

Price Level: Price Level 8

Title Option: Simple Text Title

Staff: 4 Photographers (doing some Selfie Check-In work as well) and 1 Dedicated Selfie Check-In Attendant

Participants: 500+ Participants via Selfie Check-In

Total Images Taken: 1944

Related articles

Weekly Recap: Capture App 4.20.7, GalleryGuard Boost & Retail Tweaks 📸🛡️
Feature Updates
September 19, 2025

Weekly Recap: Capture App 4.20.7, GalleryGuard Boost & Retail Tweaks 📸🛡️

3
 minutes read
Hey photo friends!

Big update week! The Capture & Upload App v4.20.7 is right around the corner, and we’ve got some great new features for sports workflows, roster clarity, and retail protections.

Let’s dig in:

📱 Capture & Upload App 4.20.7 (releasing Sept 19–22)

  • 🔍 Smarter search: Search Name Lookup with both first and last name in one query (not just one or the other)
  • 🔄 Swap Events: New option in the shooting page menu for Positive ID events
  • 🏈 Group Session mode: Added to the shooting page menu for sports events
  • 🗂️ BGR support: Can now shoot in Group Session mode inside BGR folders - uploads into a new folder name “(OriginalFolderName)b”
  • 🏷️ PhotoTags on Group Photos in BGR Folders: Add tags to group shots in Group Session mode when in BGR folders
  • ⌨️ Type & Take Participants now appear in Name Lookup
  • 🎛️ New context menu UI: Wheel/circle menus replaced with clearer buttons and room for more options
  • 📱 UI tweaks:
    • “Manual Name Lookup” renamed simply “Name Lookup” on iPad
    • iOS 26 only: Liquid Glass context menus, native dialogs, keyboards, and controls
    • Error toasts are now native dialogs (prettier + don’t disappear too fast)
    • Info dialogs on event overview use native UI
    • Name Lookup modal now correctly titled “Name Lookup”
  • 🛠️ Fix: Upload toast now shows correct number of uploaded images

🛍️ Retail Site

  • 🖼️ File names visible on the image preview page—helpful for support
  • 📏 Consistent renders regardless of aspect ratio
  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Merged participant galleries now include group photos for each merged participant’s PhotoTag (great for siblings sharing a number)
  • 🛡️ GalleryGuard upgrade: now blocks devtools for even more image protection
  • 💻 Cutouts default: Desktop retail site will selects the first custom background automatically when none is chosen when a subject goes to preview a dynamic-background image

📋 Dashboard

  • 👤 Participant images on records: Registered/Roster Participants with photos now display their gallery image instead of a silhouette on the Dashboard
  • 🖼️ Participant images now show on the Event Overview page for recent orders
  • ⬇️ Participant image downloads now include faux renders

🛠️ Misc

  • 🏅 SportsPics Check-In labels now say Athlete First Name and Athlete Last Name
  • 🏠 Clicking the NowCandid logo in the top-left of the Dashboard now takes you Home
  • 🐞 Bug fixes: Better performance and clarity around PhotoTags, merged participants, personal gallery downloads, and marketing with hidden/BGR images

That’s the roundup! 💫

Keep being amazing,
Candy 🍬

Weekly Recap: Capture App 4.20.6, GalleryGuard Expansion & Dashboard Upgrades 📸✨
Feature Updates
September 12, 2025

Weekly Recap: Capture App 4.20.6, GalleryGuard Expansion & Dashboard Upgrades 📸✨

5
 minutes read
Hey photo friends!

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.

Let’s dive in:

📱 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
  • 🖼️ Image visibility fix: New images will no longer have distorted UI if the previous image was zoomed in on the device
  • “Close” on certain popups is now “Dismiss” to prevent confusion
  • 📱 iPhone 17 support is here
  • 📷 iPhone internal camera now shoots in classic 4:3 again

📋 Dashboard Improvements

  • 📑 Participant spreadsheet downloads will now include PhotoTag columns
  • 🖼️ Manage Images popup refresh: New lightbox with a bigger preview for faster reviews

The new image preview user interface!

🛍️ Retail Site Fixes & Improvements

  • 🛡️ GalleryGuard™ protection now works on Facebook & Instagram in-app browsers too
  • 📱 iOS 26 Safari UI glitch fixed
  • 📄 Page jump popup fix: Page counts now account for a retail visitor's applied filters
  • ⬇️ Personal gallery downloads: No more AI-generated background pre-renders showing up in the Personal Gallery Download preview

🍬 Candy Upgrades

  • 🧠 I got smarter (yes, really!)
  • 💲 I now know current NowCandid product prices
  • 🎨 UI improvements make chatting with me feel smoother than ever

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 📱🛍️
Feature Updates
September 5, 2025

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

5
 minutes read
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.

Here’s the scoop:

✅ Positive ID Improvement

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

Subjects can now enter friend or family contact info in addition to their own at Positive ID Events!

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
  • 📦 Order Details upgrade: Resubmits now show receive date, order status, and mail date
  • 🔍 New Participant & Contact filters:
    • Option to hide Additional Contacts
    • PhotoTag dropdown added to filters
    • Filter UI updated for consistency with the Event List & Manage Images pages

🛍️ Retail Updates

  • 📦 Billing UI: “Billing same as shipping” checkbox hidden on digital-only orders
  • 🛒 Checkout flow: Steps before & after checkout refreshed for improved clarity
  • 📧 Post-checkout sheet: Now always shows their email on the order, plus order ID & support email
  • 🖼️ Wallet product upgraded: Now precut with rounded corners for a more professional look!
    • ⚠️ Wallets no longer support banner overlays
    • 💲 Price increased slightly more than other products (+21¢) to account for the upgrade

Retail site renders have also been updated to match the upgraded wallets!

📱 Capture App 4.20.4 (iOS)

  • 🛠️ Duplicate participant fixes: App is much less likely to create unnecessary duplicates when merging
  • 🧾 Name Lookup fix: List now properly populates with Scan Card participants, even if some had no names
  • 📷 Nikon Z series fix: Prevents cameras from showing as “connected” while powered off with USB power on

🛠️ Small but Mighty Fixes

  • 👤 No more comma-separated names if merged participants have identical first + last names
  • 💲 Recent price changes went live this week
  • 🍎 Fixed Apple Pay prompt not reappearing after dismissal
  • 🌎 Fixed timezone issues on “X min ago” displays in Image Details & Order Details
  • 🏷️ Fixed PhotoTag/Group selector incorrectly showing on package image picker when no PhotoTags existed
  • 📧 Download receipt emails now specify that files will come from YourPhotos@orderssupport.picsemail.com, helping subjects find their downloads

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 🍬

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

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

  • List One
  • List Two
  • List Three
  • List Four
  • List Five

This is a link

This is bold text