Important Information

Before You Start

Please review these important points before using PhotoCulling for the first time.

System Requirements

• macOS Tahoe or later
• Apple Silicon (M-series) or Intel Mac
• Sufficient disk space for your photo library

Key Concepts

What is Photo Culling?

Photo culling is the process of reviewing images from a photo shoot and selecting only the best ones for professional editing. Your typical workflow is:

1. Copy images from your camera to a temporary catalog on your Mac
2. Review each photo and mark the ones worth keeping
3. Rate the marked photos based on quality and editing priority
4. Copy only the marked and rated photos to a final catalog
5. Import the final catalog into your photo editing application

This streamlined process helps you:

• Quickly identify and select high-quality shots
• Eliminate out-of-focus or blurry photos
• Remove duplicates and similar frames from burst mode
• Prepare only your best images for professional editing
• Maintain organization before the editing phase

Before You Start Culling

1. Organize Your Source: Copy images from your camera to a temporary catalog on your Mac before starting the culling process.

2. Understand Your Criteria: Know what makes a photo worth keeping for you. What technical and compositional standards will you use?

3. Have Space Ready: Ensure you have sufficient disk space for:

   • The temporary catalog from your camera
   • The final catalog with marked and rated photos
   • Your photo editing application workspace

4. Prepare for Editing: Have your photo editing application ready to import the final catalog after culling is complete.

5. Use External Storage Wisely: If working with photos on external drives, ensure they remain connected throughout your culling session.

Privacy & Security

• PhotoCulling is a local application only—all your photos stay on your computer
• No data is uploaded to cloud services or third-party servers
• Your photo library is completely private and under your control
• The application is sandboxed for additional security

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues:

• Ensure macOS Tahoe or later is installed
• Restart PhotoCulling if the interface becomes unresponsive
• Check that photos are stored in a supported format (only Sony A1 mkI and mkII ARW files)
• Verify you have read/write permissions for photo directories

For detailed help, visit the Getting Started guide or check the latest changelog.