Raw SmithGuide
Cull your photos: pick, reject, rate and label
In Raw Smith you cull by flagging each photo as a Pick or a Reject, rating it from one to five stars and, if you like, giving it a colour label. On iPhone and iPad, Fast Cull lets you do it with swipes; on Mac and iPad with a keyboard, single keys do it.
Flags, ratings and colour labels
| Flags | Pick, Reject or Unflag. Rejected photos are shown faded in the grid. |
|---|---|
| Ratings | 0 to 5 stars. Tap a star, or slide your finger across the stars. |
| Color labels | Red, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple. Setting the same label again removes it. |
Every change shows a short message, such as Picked or 3 stars, with an Undo button for a few seconds.
Where to flag and rate
- In the grid: select photos and use the Mark menu, which has Flag, Rating and Color Label sections. On the Mac, right-click for Pick, Reject, Set Rating and Color Label.
- In the editor on iPad and Mac: the flag and star buttons float at the top right of the photo, next to i for the photo's details.
- In the editor on iPhone: swipe up on the photo, or tap its title and choose Info and Ratings.
Culling with the keyboard
On the Mac, and on iPad with a keyboard, culling is one key per decision. The keys work in the grid and in the editor, and are listed in the Photo menu.
| P X U | Pick, Reject, Unflag |
|---|---|
| 0–5 | No rating, or one to five stars |
| 6 7 8 9 | Red, Yellow, Green, Blue label (Purple has no key) |
| [ ] | Previous and next photo |
See every shortcut in keyboard shortcuts.
Moving on automatically
To go to the next photo as soon as you decide, turn on Go to the next photo after a pick or reject and Go to the next photo after rating it in Settings › Editor. On the Mac and iPad they're also in the Photo menu as Advance After Flagging and Advance After Rating.
How to use Fast Cull on iPhone and iPad
Fast Cull shows one photo at a time, full screen, and you decide with a swipe.
- Open it from More › Fast Cull in the library on iPhone, or the Fast Cull button in the toolbar on iPad (⇧⌘F with a keyboard).
- Swipe up to move a photo toward Pick and swipe down to move it toward Reject. Swiping the other way undoes it: a swipe up on a reject unflags it.
- Swipe left and right to move between photos, and double-tap to zoom in and check focus.
- Rate with the stars at the bottom, then tap Done.
The Auto-Advance menu at the top moves on by itself After Pick or Reject or After Rating. Fast Cull isn't on the Mac, where the keyboard does the same job.
For a full walk through a shoot, see the culling tutorial.
Compare and Survey: choosing between similar shots
Select two photos and choose More › Compare to see them side by side. Pinch, pan and 100% zoom both photos together, so you can check the same eye in each frame. Select three or more and choose Survey to see them all at once.
Each photo has its own Pick, Reject, star and label controls, so you can make the decision right there. Press Esc or tap Done to go back.
Suggested Rejects on Mac and iPad
Raw Smith looks at each photo on your device for closed eyes, frames softer than the rest of their burst, missed focus and bad exposure. Photos it's doubtful about appear under Suggested Rejects in the sidebar on the Mac and iPad. It never flags anything for you: open the list, look, and reject what you agree with. Nothing leaves your device to make these suggestions.
Seeing only your picks
When you're done, use the library's Filter menu: Flag › Picks, or Rating › four stars and up. Or make a smart album that keeps them together. Then start editing.
Questions
What's the fastest way to cull photos on iPhone?
Fast Cull. Open it from the More menu in the library, then swipe up to pick, down to reject, and left or right to move between photos. Turn on Auto-Advance to move on after each flag.
What are the keyboard shortcuts for culling?
P picks, X rejects and U unflags; 0 to 5 set the star rating; 6, 7, 8 and 9 set the Red, Yellow, Green and Blue labels. [ and ] go to the previous and next photo. They work on the Mac and on iPad with a keyboard.
Is Fast Cull available on the Mac?
No. Fast Cull is for iPhone and iPad. On the Mac you cull with the keyboard in the grid or editor, or with Compare and Survey.
What is Suggested Rejects?
A list on the Mac and iPad sidebar of photos that Raw Smith's on-device analysis thinks you may want to reject: eyes closed, softer than the rest of their burst, out of focus or badly exposed. It only suggests; it never flags anything for you.