SpeedCull

SpeedCull is a free photo-culling app for Mac, built to help photographers move from a full shoot to a confident shortlist, whether the camera captured RAW files, JPEGs or both.

It creates lightweight previews for a responsive, keyboard-first review. Your photographs stay at the centre of the screen while ratings, picks and rejects stay close at hand.

Built for the cull

Open a folder of RAW photographs, camera JPEGs or a mixture of the two. Matching RAW+JPEG pairs appear together, while standalone JPEGs can be culled in their own right. Prepare previews once, then work through the shoot in Grid, Loupe or full-screen views. Arrow keys move between frames, number keys apply star ratings, and dedicated shortcuts handle picks, rejects and comparisons.

Generated previews are kept separate from the original photographs. Clear them when you need the space without removing the catalogue, ratings, RAW or JPEG originals, or XMP sidecars. Recent shoots let you pick up your saved work again.

Give the strongest frame its moment

Keeper Mode places similar photographs side by side so the differences are easier to see. Inspect a generated preview at its actual pixel size, use an original JPEG for 1:1 inspection, or open RAW focus inspection when the camera and file are supported.

Camera autofocus information, RAW compatibility and available preview detail vary by camera and file.

Continue the edit

The guided Sync screen offers two explicit handoffs. Send RAW and JPEG star ratings to Lightroom Classic with the optional ratings-only plug-in, or write XMP sidecars for RAW photographs and another compatible photo app. The plug-in route does not require an XMP sync first.

JPEG originals are not rewritten to embed ratings, and JPEGs are excluded from the RAW-sidecar route. There is no automatic background sync. Lightroom Classic is a separate Adobe product, not included with SpeedCull.

Your work stays yours

SpeedCull works locally on your Mac. It does not require a SpeedCull account, upload a photo library for processing or rewrite RAW or JPEG originals. Your eye makes the decisions: AI analysis is not part of this App Store edition.

SpeedCull is a selection tool, not a RAW editor or a replacement for a proper backup workflow.

Availability

SpeedCull for Mac is currently in TestFlight testing ahead of its Mac App Store release. There is no public download or beta invitation link yet, and the core app will remain free.

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