Mac edition · Version 1.0

Your first cull

Open a shoot, prepare previews, make your selections and take your stars into your editing workflow. This guide describes SpeedCull for Mac, available free from this website.

Install and keep up to date

Download the Mac installer, open the disk image and drag SpeedCull into Applications. macOS 14 or later is required; both Apple Silicon and Intel are supported. See installation help for details. Choose SpeedCull → Check for Updates… or Settings → Updates to check for a new version. Automatic checks are optional and you choose when to install.

1. Open your shoot

Choose Open a shoot… and select the folder containing your RAW photographs, JPEGs or both. Allow access when macOS asks. Matching RAW+JPEG pairs are treated as one RAW-led photograph. A JPEG-only folder works too.

The scan imports available ratings while preserving decisions already saved in SpeedCull. For ongoing work, choose the exact folder from the recent-shoots list. If the folder is on an external drive, reconnect it first.

2. Prepare previews

Generate previews once to keep navigation responsive. Screen and Compare previews are separate, disposable files; your originals stay untouched. For JPEG photographs, SpeedCull reads the original when you request a 1:1 view rather than creating a second full-size JPEG.

Preview generation shows progress and any individual failures. After a completed shoot, Check previews again checks for missing work. RAW decoding and preview detail depend on the camera and file; if a file fails, share its camera model and the visible error with support.

3. Make your selections

Use Grid to find photographs, Loupe to inspect a frame and Compare to see alternatives together. Arrow keys move between images; 0–5 sets the star rating, with 0 clearing it. Picks, rejects, filters and optional auto-advance help you narrow the shoot. The app's keyboard-shortcuts panel lists the controls for each mode.

For a clean view, enter Full Screen. The photograph fills a black background, while navigation and rating shortcuts still work. Space cycles Fit, 100% and 50%; Escape returns to the workspace.

Keeper Mode

Select two or more photographs in Grid and use the trophy button to enter Keeper Mode. Compare a keeper against each contender and choose the strongest frames. Follow the on-screen controls or the Keeper section in keyboard help.

A closer look

Inspect a generated preview at its actual pixel size, open an original JPEG at 1:1, or use RAW 1:1 for supported RAW files. RAW inspection uses the bundled decoder, so no separate codec installation is needed. Available autofocus locations vary by camera and file; when none is available, inspection starts in the centre.

4. Send your ratings to your editing app

In Sync, choose the route for your destination:

The current Lightroom instructions cover installation, the one-time shared-folder choice and the exact menu commands. Lightroom Classic is a separate Adobe product. Direct JPEG metadata export to other apps and automatic background sync are not currently supported.

5. Return to your work or reclaim space

Ratings and culling decisions are saved in the local project catalogue. Reopen the same shoot to continue. Storage Manager lists known projects and can clear generated previews without deleting originals, ratings, catalogues or XMP sidecars. Back up your photographs and culling work separately.

Need a hand?

Contact SpeedCull support

Include your app version, macOS version, camera model where relevant, and the steps that produced the problem. Review any diagnostics before sending them.

Earlier developer documentation

The archived 0.1 developer reference is retained for that edition. Its installation steps, shortcuts and feature descriptions are not instructions for the current Mac release. For current controls, use this guide and the app's Help and Sync screens.