Olaf, I want to thank you for creating this section of the GetDPI site, and for kick-starting the conversations. Conversations about
photography that are not about
camera gear are important, but get lost on gear-focused sites. They need a home where they can be nurtured. Thanks for creating that home.
OK, now to your question. I think the term "curate" has many different relevant meanings. In responding to your question, I'll use a broad interpretation.
I curate at four stages:
1. In deciding whether or not to make a photograph
2. In deciding whether or not to process a file from a photograph I did make
3. In deciding whether or not to keep a photograph I processed in my catalogue
4. In deciding whether or not to do something with the photograph
#1: Deciding whether or not to make a photograph
I curate heavily when I'm working. For example, I was out yesterday working on a project that has consumed me for the past couple months. In 6 hours of work, I set up my camera only 6 times. In between each of those 6 distinct scenes, I chose many, many times
not to make a photo. The specific reasons for not making pictures yesterday were varied (e.g., it wasn't a strong enough example of something I was looking for; the light wasn't right, and I knew the picture would be flat; I have something similar in my catalogue already). More generally, processing files in Lightroom is work, and I don't want to waste time working on pictures that I know are going to be run-of-the-mill. So I don't make those pictures. Lately I'm just as happy to enjoy seeing whatever it was I briefly considered photographing, and then moving on.
#2: Deciding whether or not to process a file from a photograph I did make
This is straightforward and based on technical and artistic considerations. Each time I set up to make a photograph, I usually shoot 10, 20 or more frames. I'll work the scene, adjust the composition, try again with different light, etc. From the six times I set up yesterday, I added 127 files to my catalogue. I spent part of yesterday and today sorting through them. One of the six scenes didn't make the cut at this level of curation. The photo I wanted for the project I'm working on simply wasn't there in any of the 24 attempts (even though several were technically solid). All those files are marked for deletion. At this stage, I also mark for deletion all files that have obvious technical problems of some type or other.
The other five scenes had some promising candidates. In one, there was a stand-out shot that was leagues ahead of the others. Everything came together for that one, so it was an easy choice. In the four other scenes, there were several good candidates for each. If I can't decide which of two or three candidate files is the best, I'll pick one of them and develop a "draft". If I'm happy, I carry on with that one. But sometimes I need to develop a couple files in draft form, and re-vist them over a few days or longer. I often see problems days later that I didn't see initially. Occasionally I'll use printing as the deciding factor. If it doesn't print well despite my best efforts, I drop the picture (or the whole set) and mark for deletion. Processing pictures is a lot of work (for me), so I'm ruthless at this stage.
#3: Deciding whether or not to keep a photograph I processed in my catalogue
Despite my best efforts, some pictures I processed fully simply aren't worth keeping. Occasionally it takes me days, weeks or longer to come to this conclusion. Printing is, again, a key tool I'll use in this stage of curation. However, most of the time I don't need to make a print to decide. I know what I want from a photograph, and it's often obvious that a file (or group from a scene) simply won't cut it no matter how much I might want it to. Two of the six scenes I shot yesterday were not keepers even after multiple different processing strategies on the best candidates. They were "OK", but that's not enough. All the files associated with those two scenes are marked for deletion in my catalogue.
Importantly, at this third stage of curation, I'm just looking for one picture from every scene; I don't fill my catalogue with multiple versions. There's a keeper and the rest are tossed once I've decided on the keeper.
#4: Deciding whether or not to do something with the photograph
My last level of curation is deciding whether or not the photograph will have a life beyond my catalogue. I rate my finished pictures on a 5-point scale. Photos that I rate 3, 4 or 5 might spend some time on my web site, get printed and displayed, or be used in a project portfolio. I keep the ones that only got 1 or 2 stars as learning tools, as a record of my development as a photographer, or as a placeholder so that I know what I want to re-do some day. But they never see the light of day.
Rob