Writing captions or photo descriptions is an important part of journalism. Captions must be accurate and informative. In fact, most readers tend to look at the photos first, then read the captions in a story before deciding to read the story itself. Use the following points to help you write a caption that will entice the reader to read the whole story.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Learning Caption Basics
Step 1. Check the facts
One of the most important aspects of any type of journalism is accuracy. If you use incorrect information, the story or photo will lose credibility. Before uploading or printing any photo caption, make sure you have checked that anything stated in the caption is accurate.
Don't print incorrect captions if you're having trouble checking the facts, either you can't find the correct source, or because you're on a deadline. It's a good idea to get rid of the information if you're not sure it's accurate
Step 2. Explain anything that is not clear
If photo captions simply describe the visuals in the photo, it's not useful enough. If you have a photo of a sunset and simply caption it “sunset”, you are not providing the reader with any additional information. Instead, explain the details of the photo that are not clear, such as the location, time, or special events that occurred.
- For example, if you have a photo of a sunset, you might write the caption: “Sunset over the Pacific coast, March 2016, from Long Beach, Vancouver Island”.
- Also avoid using terms such as: “shown”, “described”, “and behold”, or “above”.
Step 3. Don't start the caption with certain words
Captions must not start with the words 'a', 'a' or 'which'. These words are too basic and take up valuable caption space when they don't need to be. For example, instead of saying: “A blue bird in the boreal forest”, simply say “A blue bird flies through the boreal forest”.
- Also, don't start the caption with someone's name, start the caption with a caption first, then include the name. For example, don't say: "Stan Theman near Sunshine Meadow Park". Instead, say: “Runner Stan Theman near Sunshine Meadow Park”.
- When identifying a person's position in a photo, simply say "from the left". You don't have to say "from left to right".
Step 4. Identify the main character in the photo
If your photo includes important people, identify who they are. If you know their name, include it (unless they ask not to be named). If you don't know their name, you may want to include a description of who they are instead (e.g. “Washington, D. C. street protester.”).
- While it goes without saying, make sure all the names you use are spelled correctly and have appropriate titles.
- If the photo includes a group of people, or several people that are not relevant to the story (i.e. their names are not needed to tell the story), you don't need to mention every name in the caption.
Step 5. Make it as special as possible
This advice is equivalent to advice about accuracy. If you're not sure where the photo was taken, or who is in the photo, find out. Showing a photo without specific information may not be useful to readers, especially if you can't tell them the context in which the photo was taken.
- If you are working with fellow journalists on a story, contact them for additional information if necessary.
- If you're trying to identify a specific person in a photo, explaining their place in the photo can be very useful. For example, if Bob Smith is the only one wearing a hat, you might say: "Bob Smith, back row is wearing a hat."
- While specificity is good, you can also convey your caption in such a way that it starts with the general and moves to the more specific, or begins with the specific and ends with the more general. Both methods ensure specificity, but create readable statements.
Step 6. Mark historical photos properly
If using historical photos in your story, make sure you mark them correctly and include the time (at least the year) the photo was taken. Depending on who owns the photo, you may need to include the source of the photo and/or another organization (e.g. museums, archives, etc.).
Step 7. Use the present tense in the caption
Since most photos are shown as part of a story about something happening “now”, use the present tense in the caption. Except for historical photographs, where the use of the past tense makes more sense.
The advantage of using the present tense is that it conveys a sense of immediacy and increases the impact of the photo on the reader
Step 8. Avoid humor if the photo is not meant to be funny
If the photo you're captioning is a serious or gloomy event, don't try to be funny in the caption. Funny captions should only be used if the photo itself is a joke or funny event that is meant to provoke laughter from the reader.
Step 9. Remember to always include awards and citations
Each photo must include the name of the photographer and/or the organization that owns the photo. In actual photography magazines and publications, photographs also include technical details of how the photo was taken (e.g. lens aperture, film speed, f-stop, lens, etc.)
When writing awards, you don't need to use the terms “thank you to” or “photo by” if the information is presented in a consistent and easy-to-understand format. For example, it may be that awards are always italicized or in a smaller font size
Method 2 of 3: Reinforcing Stories with Captions
Step 1. Use captions to tell the reader something new
When readers view photos, they are usually exposed to some form of emotion and some kind of information (according to what they see in the photo). Captions, in turn, should provide readers with a piece of information they're not aware of from just looking at the photo. In short, the caption should teach the reader something about the photo.
- Captions should provoke readers to research the story more deeply and seek more information.
- Captions should also not repeat aspects of the story itself. Captions and stories must complement each other and there should be no repetition.
Step 2. Avoid using judgmental statements
Captions should be informative, not judgmental or critical. Unless you can actually talk to the people in the photos, and ask them how they feel or think, don't make assumptions based solely on how they look in the photo. For example, avoid saying “unhappy shoppers are in line” unless you really know they are not.
Journalism aims to be objective and informative to readers. Journalists must present facts in an impartial manner and allow readers to form their own opinions
Step 3. Don't worry about the length of the caption
A photo can speak a thousand languages, but sometimes a few words are needed to put a photo in context. If a long caption is needed for the photo to make sense, that's fine. While you want to try to be as clear and concise as possible, don't limit the information in your caption if it's going to be useful.
Step 4. Write in spoken language
In general, journalism does not use overly complex language, but neither does it use clichés or slang. Captions must follow the same basic language requirements. Write the caption in a conversational tone, the same way you would talk to family members when showing them photos. Avoid clichés and slang (and abbreviations). Don't use complicated words when they're not needed.
If the photo is accompanied by a story, try using the same tone used in the story
Step 5. Include less important story components in the caption
Stories that accompany photos tend to be about something in particular and tell a story. If there is information that is useful for understanding the photo, but not necessary in telling the story, include it in the caption, not in the body of the story.
- This does not mean that captions are only used for unimportant components of the story, but rather components that are not so important in telling the story. Captions can be standalone mini stories that include components not used in the story itself.
- Again, remember that captions and stories should complement each other. Not repeating each other.
Step 6. Decide which punctuation marks should be used
If the photo contains only a person (such as a photo of a head) or a photo of a very special object (such as an umbrella), it is okay to caption the photo with the person's name or the name of the object without punctuation. In other cases, it's okay to use incomplete sentences in captions, depending on the publication and their terms.
- An example of a caption without punctuation is: “Toyota 345X Transmission”.
- Example of the difference between full and incomplete captions: Complete - “Actress Ann Levy used an Acura 325 to do one lap in a British test driving course in London.” Incomplete - “Used Acura 325 to do one lap.”
Step 7. Simplify the caption in the next caption
If several consecutive photos in a story show either the same place, person, or event, you don't need to keep repeating the details of this element in each caption. For example, if you introduce a person in the first caption using their full name, just state their first name in the next caption.
- It doesn't matter if you assume someone who is viewing and reading a photo has seen and read the caption of the previous photo because chances are it is in a certain order that tells the story.
- You don't have to go into too much detail in the caption if the story itself already provides a lot of detail. For example, if the story conveys details of an event, you don't need to repeat those details in the caption.
Step 8. Identify when the photo has been digitally altered
Photos are sometimes enlarged, reduced, or cropped to fit the situation, story, page, space, etc. This type of change doesn't need to be explained because it doesn't change what's in the picture. However, if you change the photo in other ways (i.e. change the color, delete something, add something, emphasize something unnatural, etc.) you should identify this in the caption.
- The caption doesn't have to explicitly say what you're changing, but it should at least state “photo illustration”.
- This rule also applies to unique photography methods such as time lapse, etc.
Step 9. Use the formula for writing captions
Until you get used to writing captions, you can start by using a special writing formula. In the end, your caption will likely follow this formula, or something similar, without you needing to think about it. But before that, rely on this formula to make sure you've included all the necessary components.
- One of these formulas is: [noun] [verb] [direct object] at [appropriate occurrence] at [appropriate location] in [city] in [day], [date] [month] [year]. [Why or how].
- An example of using this formula: "Dallas firefighters (noun) extinguished (present verb) a fire (direct object) at Fitzhugh Apartments (appropriate location) near the intersection of Fitzhugh Avenue and Monarch Street in Dallas (city) on Thursday (day), 1 (date) July (month) 2004 (year).”
Method 3 of 3: Avoiding Errors in Captions
Step 1. Don't be arrogant
Arrogance in the caption appears when the caption writer doesn't care about the reader, and just writes an easy caption. This action can also be considered selfish because the author is more concerned with himself than the reader trying to decipher the meaning of the photos and stories.
This can also happen when a writer tries to look 'cool' and tries something new or clever. There's no point in being complicated. Keep things simple, clear, and accurate
Step 2. Avoid assumptions
You know what they say about people who assume…! The same applies to writing captions. This assumption can come from the part of journalists, photographers, or even others in the publishing where everything is put together. Don't assume what's going on in the photo, or who these people are. Find out the truth and enter only accurate information.
This also applies to styles and formats. If you're not sure if a publisher has a specific format for captions, ask. Don't use your favorite format that might really need to be revised later because you didn't ask for it first
Step 3. Make sure you are not careless
Sloppy happens when you don't care or don't think about situations that are important enough to be re-examined. The result of carelessness can be in the form of misspellings, incorrectly mentioning the names of the people in the photos, captions that do not match the photos, incorrectly mentioning the photos in the story, etc. If you take pride in your work, do the job right from start to finish.
This can also happen when you try to use another language in the caption, but don't check if it's written correctly. Using Google Translate is not the same as double-checking that the spelling is correct
Step 4. Remember that what you print is considered fact
As a journalist, anything you print either in the story or in the caption is usually considered fact by your readers. They have the right to assume that you have done a fact check and that what you say is accurate. If you are too lazy or careless to do your job, you run the risk of passing on the wrong information to a lot of people.
Also keep in mind that once information is "out," it can be difficult to correct it, especially if the information relates to a tragic, stressful, and still happening event
Tips
- Photos and captions must complement each other. Together the two must tell a story. Both should avoid repeating each other. Captions should help explain what, when, and where, while photos should provoke an emotional reaction.
- The newspaper industry calls the caption, "cutline".
- National Geographic photo captions are a great example of journalistic photo captions. National Geographic is best known for its photographs, but most of the photos in the magazine include stories. However, most readers tend to look at the photo first, read the caption, look at the photo a second time, then decide if they will read the story. A good caption should allow the reader to make the jump between just looking at the photo and actually reading the story.
- As a photographer, you should bring a notebook and pen/pencil to the photo shoot event. Use the time between taking photos, or while waiting for a specific subject, to write the names of the people in your photos with the correct spelling.
