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Weekly Recap: Lots of Dashboard Quality-of-Life Changes!📸

Weekly Recap: Lots of Dashboard Quality-of-Life Changes!📸
Hi friends!

It’s your favorite AI assistant, Candy 🍬, here with the latest round of improvements from the NowCandid™ team!

We’ve been working behind the scenes to make your uploads faster, your filters smarter, and your galleries even more streamlined. Let’s take a look at what’s new this week!

FaceMatch Import™ Enhancements 🧠

Managing face data just got easier and more organized!

  • 🔍 Event search bar added to the import screen for quicker Event selection
  • 🙈 Can now hide organizations and face groups for cleaner views
  • 🔠 Alphabetical sorting is now the default for organizations and face groups, and you can click headers to sort any column!
  • 🍬 Candy will now pop in to notify you when all member images are uploaded!

Image Uploading Upgrades 🖼️

Just a couple tweaks to help keep your folders clean and your uploads smooth!

  • 📁 Select an existing folder from a dropdown when uploading new images
  • 🚫 Images smaller than 500×500 pixels will no longer be allowed for upload (too tiny for high-quality printing!)

Manage Images Filters 👓

Need to track down which images didn’t get assigned? Now you can!

  • 🆕 New “Unassigned Images” toggle lets you filter for images that aren’t in any participant’s gallery yet
  • Great for quick cleanups or double-checking your galleries before publishing!

Custom Offers & Products 📦

A few little changes to give you more control over shipping and products!

  • 💸 Shipping max increased to $10 (was previously capped at $7)
  • 🖼️ New products added: 4×6 Group Print and 5×7 Group Print—these render identically to the standard 4×6 and 5×7 products on retail but are great for offering group-specific pricing or bundles!

Miscellaneous Improvements 🛠️

A few thoughtful touches to make your day-to-day a little more delightful:

  • ⌨️ You can now use CMD+F to quickly focus on most text fields—no more clicking around to type!
  • 🏷️ GroupTags™ can now be used on all Programs except QuicPics™ and QuicPortraits™ (since those workflows don’t support group photo flagging)
  • ⚠️ If Pause Marketing is on, you’ll now see reminders on both the participant list and participant details pages, so you don’t forget to flip the switch back when it’s time!

Thanks for keeping up with this week’s recap! 🎓📷

We’re always rolling out new ways to make NowCandid™ more powerful, more flexible, and more YOU.

If you’ve got feedback or need help with any of these features, give us a shout—Candy’s always happy to help!

Until next time,


Keep capturing magic,


Candy 🍬

Related articles

Helpful Tips: Using QuicPics at your Proms
QuicPics
April 19, 2023

Helpful Tips: Using QuicPics at your Proms

6
 minutes read

QuicPics is an innovative photo booth alternative designed to enhance the photo-taking experience at events like proms. As a photographer, QuicPics allows you to offer a modern, fun, and interactive experience for prom attendees, while you get paid upfront for your services. It can be sold as a “mobile photo booth” service, as a manned portrait station akin to traditional photo booths, or as a service where you provide both! Thanks to our cloud, no matter how many photographers or photo stations you have, they’ll all talk to each other, meaning guests only have to provide their contact info once. 

This short guide will walk you through how to effectively use QuicPics for a prom night:

  1. First, Understanding QuicPics:
    QuicPics is quite different from NowCandid’s other programs, it texts image files directly to guests in addition to a link to their online gallery. With NowCandid’s other programs, only links to online galleries of images are delivered. QuicPics also charges the photographer for each image they take and upload to the cloud, making it the only NowCandid feature that charges the photographer in any way.
  2. QuicPics’ Advantage:
    QuicPics is a perfect alternative to traditional photo booths. It's a mobile, modern, interactive, and engaging way to capture memories at proms. With instant texting of images to attendees, QuicPics ensures a seamless experience for everyone involved.
  3. Create a Unique Photo Station:
    Make your photo station stand out by offering themed backdrops, fun props, and creative lighting. This will not only draw the prom-goers to your station but also encourage them to share their professional photos on social media, giving you free advertising and potentially attracting new clients.
  4. Pricing and Payment:
    As a photographer, it's essential to get paid upfront for your services. We recommend charging between $200 to $300 per photographer hour, possibly offering a discount if they are requesting a large number of photographers and/or hours. Alternatively, talk to the school or with involved parents about increasing the cost of prom tickets to pay for QuicPics services for the prom. Take payments using PayPal, Square, Venmo, via check, checkout on your own website, or whatever means are most convenient for you! Just ensure it looks professional to the school you’re dealing with.
  5. Planning your Workflow:
    To ensure a smooth process, have a tablet available for prom attendees to interact with the QuicPics platform. This will allow them to receive their photos via text message instantly thanks to the LTE connection of the tablets. We recommend using the Tap-A-Face workflow, which simplifies the process of collecting data and pairing it to their face, as well as being a fun addition to the prom already!
  6. Selling the Service:
    To promote your QuicPics services, create a compelling sales pitch that highlights the benefits of a mobile photo booth experience, the convenience of instant photo sharing, and the interactive nature of the platform. Showcase sample photos and emphasize the unique value QuicPics brings to a prom night.

QuicPics is a fun, interactive, and modern solution to traditional photo booths, making it an excellent addition to any prom night. By following these tips, hopefully you'll be able to provide a memorable experience for prom attendees while securing payment for your services. Happy snapping!

Proms: An Untapped Gold Mine
PartyPics
April 14, 2023

Proms: An Untapped Gold Mine

4
 minutes read

Plenty of photographers think photographing a prom is not worth their time and energy. They're not wrong to think that either... as that can often be the case! But, NowCandid's "PartyPics Now!" program has cracked the code and found a way to consistently monetize proms and other school dances!

We analyzed all the proms that took place in 2022 that had utilized PartyPics Now, and found that across dozens of proms, photographers averaged well over $2 per image taken and about $5 per guest at the prom. Not bad, considering the average number of students at any given prom was about 400 students!

The top performing proms well exceeded $2 per image and $5 per guest by doing some combination of the following things:

          • First, they used NowCandid's Selfie Check-In workflow, which gathered the guest's parent's contact data! Marketing the prom images to them as well.

          • Second, they utilized photo stations (sometimes with backdrops and/or props!) with photographer attendants in addition to roaming photographers.

          • And third, they sent 4 or more photographers to ensure they photographed every guest multiple times, making the guest's online galleries (and the larger photo packages) more appealing!

At proms where all three of those conditions were successfully met, the average sales per image was $3 and the average sales per event guest was almost $9!

So, while proms might not be quite as profitable as they were once upon a time, they can still be a great way to make some extra profit in your off season, expand your business, keep your photographers paid and busy, and more!

And... stay tuned! Because a new feature we're calling Group-by-Face rolls out in the very near future! Helping to take your online galleries for social events to the next level! 🎉

Have any questions? Feel free to contact us! We love to chat. 😃

Stay profitable, photographers! 📸

Cap and Gown Chronicles: Master the Art of Graduation Photography with These Expert Tips
GradPics
April 11, 2023

Cap and Gown Chronicles: Master the Art of Graduation Photography with These Expert Tips

4
 minutes read

Graduation day is a momentous occasion, marking the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and the occasional all-nighter (we're looking at you, college students). As a photographer, you have the unique opportunity to capture these once-in-a-lifetime moments, and we're here to help you make the most of it. From technical know-how to creative flair, we've got you covered with expert tips for optimal graduation photography. And with NowCandid's Grad Pics Now program at your side, you'll be snapping insta-worthy shots in no time. So, ready your camera and let's get started!

  1. Scout the Location:
    Before the big day, visit the graduation venue to familiarize yourself with the layout and lighting conditions. Identify the best spots for group shots, candid moments, and the all-important diploma handoff. This prep work will ensure that you're in the right place at the right time to capture those precious memories.
  2. Use the Right Gear:
    Bring a telephoto lens for close-ups of the stage, a wide-angle lens for group shots, and a fast prime lens for low-light conditions. A monopod or tripod can also help steady your shots and reduce camera shake during those crucial moments and pre- or post-stage cross portraits.
  3. Find the Perfect Angle:
    Get creative with your angles to add depth and interest to your shots. But importantly, always find the right shot in order to get the graduate’s face in the photo! When using NowCandid’s face matching workflows, that’s a very important piece of the puzzle! When you can’t get a good angle, consider asking the school ahead of time to make sure the “handshaker” will always turn towards the camera and smile, prompting the graduates to do the same!
  4. Tell the Story:
    Graduation day is a rollercoaster of emotions, from anticipation to elation. Document the day's events, capturing candid moments and reactions that tell a compelling story. With NowCandid's Grad Pics Now program, you can easily organize and share these images in a personalized gallery, allowing graduates and their families to relive the day for years to come.
  5. Get Creative with Portraits:
    Graduation portraits don't have to be stiff and formal. Encourage the graduates to express themselves, whether it's a celebratory jump or a quirky pose with their diploma. These fun shots will stand out and make lasting memories.

With these expert tips and NowCandid's Grad Pics Now program in your toolkit, you'll be well-equipped to master the art of graduation photography. So, channel your inner photographer and capture the magic of the big day – because, as Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." And no one wants to miss a moment as special as graduation day. Happy snapping!

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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

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