As I mentioned in an earlier post about "tagging", I tag and rate all of the pictures and songs on my computer. It's time consuming, but I enjoy the process. Most people either can't believe that I go to the trouble, or wish they did (while admitting they never will). There's 2 main reasons why I do it:
1) I noticed as soon as I'd had a digital camer for a few months that it was getting harder and harder to find specific pictures. If a picture is worth tracking down, it was usually a good one. Being able to sort your best work from your forgettable pieces means you'll have a much easier time grabbing the shot you need when the time comes.
2) The other reason is that I always carry around my camera, and because I do a lot of my friends and family never bother to carry their own. I'm fine with that... I actually prefer it. And I take the responsibility seriously. My digital pictures don't just sit around waiting/hoping to be made into a print. I like to use pictures in movies. I like to create little slideshows or collections along a theme to amuse myself. [I haven't updated the collection or movie pages in a while, but I have a bunch of ideas I'm looking forward to bringing about when I get the chance] I even use pictures occasionally to send someone an iCard (a neat, digital postcard service Apple offers). These projects are a lot harder if you have to begin anew, every single time, hunting down quality, relevant images.
Just as with photos, it can be very handy to have your good music sorted from your junk. If you've played at all with iTunes (or if you've ever made a mix tape or burned a CD), you know that creating a good playlist is an art, and not as easy as it might seem. I use my ratings to make the perfect lists for situations I repeatedly find myself in. Examples:
- When trying to doze off on a plane, I listen to classical music, with the highest rated music earliest on the list, so that I'll be asleep before I get to the bad stuff.
- When driving home from work, I employ a "smart playlist" to bring up only my songs rated "3 stars out of 5" or better, and that I haven't heard in at least 2 weeks. This was I get out of the habit of hearing the same tunes over and over again and getting tired of them.
- When I'm handing my iPod to someone on a road trip or at a party, I tell them to stick to the "My Top Rated" list, which consists of those songs rated 4 or 5 stars. The premium goods, in my opinion. Safe territory when other people are observing/judging my song library.
I decided at the beginning of all this rating that, if I'm forcing myself to rate my songs and pics, I need to have a few rules. I can't go by gut feel, because my gut is fickle and can't be trusted. When you come home from a good long weekend excursion, every picture looks like an Ansel Adams, but my rules keep me from going nutty.
1 Star: Not necessarily worthless, but I would never miss it if it went away forever. If there are any pictures or songs that I know are literally worthless, I just throw them away. Shots that are rated 1 star will have a home on my computer until I need the disk space (hopefully never). Every once in a while, as I scan back through pictures I'd rated "1" I discover a detail I'd missed that redeems the shot. A good example here is the shot I take in very low light at a dinner. Someone moves and it looks blurry. I'll probably never use this shot for anything, but it's still a fun memory from a good meal. The other reason a shot would show up here would be if my thumb or the camera's strap obscured part of the image. Or if it's a pure landscape/sunset. I generally don't like those without someone in them. That's my personal taste.
Music example - Paul (Skit), Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP [Interludes on rap albums always get 1 star]
Photo example - The Pru in Boston being lit during the World Series. No focus, but fun memory
2 Stars: I wouldn't want this one getting thrown away, but it won't find it's way into many slideshows/playlists either. I have a habbit that bothers some people. I take pictures without warning at group events. Some incredible candids have come out of this but it's hit or miss (and mostly miss). In music terms, it tends to be a song that I'd be happy to hear if I were working my way through an artists whole catalog, but that I might not play as a single.
Music example - I'll be Doggone, Marvin Gaye, The Very Best of Marvin Gaye
Photo example - Below is a fun shot from a walking tour of Stanford. Samantha was visiting colleges, and Lisa thought it'd be fun to do cruise around her alma mater's beautiful campus. She was right. There are other shots from the trip where we posed in front of statues and stuff, and I'd use those in any kind of project, but I like how this one reminds me of what we actually did that day.
3 Stars: Now we're getting warmer. A three star image was probably posed, focused well, and properly lit. Likewise, a song of that caliber is likely one I know the name of immediately, if not the lyrics as well. I would probably not skip past a 3 star track on a playlist, but might not make my friends suffer through it in a public area. Same of photos in a slideshow.
Music example - Mambo #5, Lou Bega
Photo example - Funny moment with me, Randall, Shalyn, and Decker (and his Unabomber look) at the Cape summer party. You probably wouldn't frame this one, but you might order a print
4 Stars: I love these shots/tunes and could enjoy them every day without growing tired of them. It's often the case, after a particularly memorable evening or weekend, that I feel like one picture defines the trip. That's the one I tend to give 4 stars. Similarly, with music, if one song defines a genre, album, or perfectly evokes a pleasant memory for me, I give it 4 stars.
Music example - Bonnie & Clyde, Jay-Z; A catchy song in and of itself, but catapulted to 4 stars because Lisa and I heard it 100 times on a spledid jaunt to Newport, RI. early in our relationship
Photo example - On the way home from a Bain & Co. trip to Napa, we ran into Robin Williams at a gas station. The day had been fun and uproarious, and this moment fit right in. I actually ran into John Salley, too, later that night. I can see this pic and it all comes back to me.
5 Stars: This is the stuff that I would rescue if my apartment were on fire. I like these so much, I don't bother to defend them, usually, because it gets kind of personal when you like a song or photograph this much.
Music example - Dirty Water, The Standells. This is played after every Red Sox home victory. This isn't just about Boston, or the Red Sox. This song makes me feel like I'm home whenever I hear it, and that I'm sharing a happy moment with people I care about.
Photo example - On of my the last few days before I graduated, the seniors from Thete gathered briefly for the camera. Seeing the bulding, the letters, and the hubris we exude just cracks me up. I never really see any of these guys (other than Jeb anymore), so I almost wouldn't believe this was a part of my life for so long if I didn't check this shot out from time to time.
For pictures, here's how my library breaks down...
1 star: 776 (15%)
2 stars: 1440 (27%)
3 stars: 2244 (42%)
4 stars: 741 (14%)
5 stars: 129 (2%)
And for music...
1 star: 643 (26%)
2 stars: 588 (23%)
3 stars: 876 (35%)
4 stars: 350 (14%)
5 stars: 51 (2%)
Technorati Tags: Adam, Alex, Bain & Co., Brown, California, CapeCod, Family, Flickr, Lisa, Mom, Randall, Samantha, Scan
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