Lightroom is Too Slow for Preselection
Lightroom imports and fully processes RAW files – this takes hours with large volumes. RAWFetcher loads only thumbnails and metadata, making it significantly faster and giving you an immediate overview.
RAW Photo Workflow
RAW Photo Workflow for macOS: Professional Preselection Before Lightroom
The Problem: You return from a shoot with hundreds or thousands of RAW images. Lightroom or Capture One are too slow for the initial review. You spend hours manually sorting out blurry, shaky, or failed shots – before the creative work even begins.
The Solution: RAWFetcher is a macOS app specifically designed for the first phase of your RAW workflow. Connect your camera or SD card directly, load thumbnails and metadata quickly, automatically analyze sharpness and subjects – then export only the images that are truly good. Up to 10x faster than Lightroom for preselection.
Why a Separate RAW Photo Workflow Before Lightroom?
Lightroom and Capture One are excellent tools for photo editing – but they're not optimized for quickly preselecting large RAW volumes. RAWFetcher focuses exclusively on this first phase: Review, analysis, and selection. This saves time and resources.
Automatic Sharpness Analysis
Manually finding blurry images is time-consuming. RAWFetcher automatically analyzes the sharpness of each image using multiple algorithms (Laplacian, Tenengrad, High-Frequency) and immediately shows you which images are sharp.
EXIF-Based Sorting
Filter by focal length, aperture, shutter speed, date, or location – all based on EXIF data. Perfect for quickly finding specific shooting situations or sorting images by technical criteria.
Seamless Integration
Export your selection directly into the desired folder structure. RAWFetcher can create folders by date, subject, location, or type – exactly as you need them for Lightroom or Capture One.
The Optimal RAW Photo Workflow for macOS
Here's how to integrate RAWFetcher into your existing workflow with Lightroom, Capture One, or other editors:
1Connect camera/SD
2Load thumbnails & EXIF (fast)
3Sharpness analysis & subject detection
4Filter, mark, sort out
5Export selection & import into Lightroom
Who is This Workflow Ideal For?
- Event Photographers: After a wedding or event, you quickly have 1000+ RAW images. RAWFetcher helps you quickly identify the best shots.
- Nature Photographers: After a trip or shooting day, large RAW volumes accumulate. Automatic sharpness analysis saves hours.
- Portrait Photographers: With series shots, you quickly find the sharpest and best images.
- Anyone who regularly manages large RAW volumes: Professional photographers know the problem – RAWFetcher solves it.
Advantages Over Direct Lightroom Import
- Speed: Thumbnails instead of full RAW processing – up to 10x faster
- Resources: Less CPU and memory load during preselection
- Automation: Sharpness analysis and subject detection save manual work
- Focus: Concentrate on selection, not editing
- Structure: Export directly into the desired folder structure for Lightroom
Lightroom / Capture One Import Playbook (practical)
This landing page targets “RAW photo culling / photo preselection on macOS” — so here’s the concrete hand‑off: how to move from RAWFetcher into Lightroom or Capture One without doing your selection twice.
Lightroom Classic: import only your selects
- 1) Mark keepers in RAWFetcher (e.g. sharp + selected)
- 2) Export into a clean folder structure (date / project / type)
- 3) Optional: consistent renaming (for search & archiving)
- 4) In Lightroom, import only the export folder
- 5) Now start Develop/Presets — without rejects in your catalog
Tip: Consistent naming + folders keep your catalog clean over time.
Capture One: keep sessions/projects lean
- 1) Make your selection in RAWFetcher (sharpness, tags, filters)
- 2) Export into a “Selects” folder
- 3) Use “Selects” as your Capture One import source
- 4) Bursts/series remain easy to manage as grouped sets
For renaming/EXIF workflows, see the Features page.
Technical Features for RAW Photo Workflow
RAWFetcher offers special functions that accelerate the RAW workflow:
Batch Processing
Analyze thousands of RAW images simultaneously: sharpness analysis, subject detection, and location resolution for all images in parallel. No waiting for individual processing steps.
Burst Detection
Automatic detection of burst sequences based on EXIF data. Bursts are displayed as stacks and can be rated together – ideal for action or wildlife photography.
Smart Filters
Filter by file type (RAW/JPEG), EXIF values (focal length, aperture, shutter speed), date, location, rating, and minimum sharpness. Combine multiple filters for precise selection.
FAQ: RAW photo culling on macOS
Common questions about preselecting RAW photos on Mac — and how RAWFetcher fits in.
Is RAWFetcher a Lightroom replacement?
No. RAWFetcher is for preselection before editing. Editing/Develop happens afterwards in Lightroom, Capture One, etc.
How fast is it compared to Lightroom?
RAWFetcher is optimized for fast thumbnail/metadata loading. Actual speed depends on camera/media and the number of files.
Can I filter by EXIF (focal length, shutter, aperture)?
Yes. EXIF filters help analyze sequences and quickly find specific shooting situations.
Can I export my selection with a clean folder structure?
Yes. You can export your selects and structure folders by date/type/place/subject (depending on settings).
Start Your Optimized RAW Photo Workflow Now
RAWFetcher for macOS helps you review and select RAW images faster – before importing them into Lightroom or Capture One. Perfect for professional photographers who regularly manage large RAW volumes.