The story behind MacTorrentz

I photograph weddings in and around London. From May to September that means long Saturdays with a camera and long weeks with a laptop, culling, editing and exporting thousands of frames. Software that gets me through a season earns a lot of loyalty. Software that slows me down gets uninstalled by Wednesday.

MacTorrentz is my shelf of the apps that made the cut, plus a lot of others readers asked about. It started as a list I'd send to other photographers whenever they asked what I use, and it's grown well past that.

What's on the shelf

Photo editing comes first: editors, Photoshop Plugins and Lightroom Presets, then Design tools for albums and print. Around those you'll find Video for the couples who want a short film, VST Plugins and audio bits for soundtracks, Utilities, general Mac Apps and a Games section for the off-season.

What each page tells you

The current version, the download size, which macOS it needs, and whether it runs on Apple silicon, Intel or both. If there's a quirk to installing it, like a plugin that needs Photoshop closed first, it's noted. When a new version arrives the page moves with it, and older builds stay listed where they still help someone on an older Mac. Plenty of photographers are still running a trusty laptop that can't take the newest macOS, and that's fine.

Accounts and comments

You don't need an account to read anything. A free one gives you favourites, a note on the site when something you've saved is updated, and the option to comment. Comments are checked before they go up, so yours shows as awaiting moderation for a while. Some of the best tips on the site are in the comments: export settings, plugin combinations, which preset pack suits which light.

Spotted something wrong or want an app added? Pop over to the contact page.