WRITING
CAPTIONS
THAT WORK
Providing context to the
photo
Liz Cox
AN EFFECTIVE CAPTION
•answers the who, what, where, when
and why of every photo in the book
•draws the readers into the spread
•is always factual
Smoky Hill H.S.
Ineffective captions: “What’s my line?” or “Smile for the camera!”
Smoky Hill H.S.
Effective caption: The Glass Menagerie gets an updated look as
Sophomore English 10 Honors student Aaron Tyres films his group’s scene
for their project. Aaron and four classmates not only modernized the plot, but
used iMovie to film these scenes during the first week of October. “Mrs.
Emerson gave us three weeks to write and one week to film, and we earned
an A on the project,” said Aaron.
CAPTION GUIDELINE
•Choose strong photographs with
storytelling appeal.
These photos were taken at the same track meet. Which one tells a more
interesting story?
CAPTION GUIDELINE
•Consider an impact lead of one or
two words or a short phrase to
begin the caption and establish its
relationship with the photo.
POSSIBLE
LEAD-INS:
Clear sailing.
Putting her best
foot forward.
All clear!
The end
is in sight.
CAPTION GUIDELINE
•Completely and accurately identify
and describe the action and
reaction of the photo (without
stating the obvious).
OBVIOUS: She is running
over a hurdle.
NOT OBVIOUS: Her
name and grade, details
of this specific race
(including the result),
where and when the meet
took place and the
opponent.
CAPTION: All Clear! In
her last meet as a middle
school runner, eighth
grader Nan Pearson
clears the last hurdle in
the 100 meters. She won
the race against South
Middle School on
September 20 and
finished the season
undefeated in this event.
CAPTION GUIDELINE
•Use present tense, active voice for
the sentence that captures the
action of the photo. This is
traditionally the first sentence.
Smoky Hill H.S.
Warming up closer Ryan Rhodes, senior catcher Mark Myers works the
bullpen in the home game against Universal High School on April 28.
CAPTION GUIDELINE
•Use past tense for subsequent
sentences. These sentences add
background information and context.
Smoky Hill H.S.
Warming up closer Ryan Rhodes, senior catcher Mark Myers works the
bullpen in the home game against Universal High School on April 28.
Myers entered the game with Rhodes in the top of the seventh
inning, and Rhodes earned a save with the 3-2 win.
CAPTION
GUIDELINE
•A direct quote can provide the
caption with human interest appeal
as well as more valued information.
Smoky Hill H.S.
Warming up closer Ryan Rhodes, senior catcher Mark Myers works the
bullpen in the home game against Universal High School on April 28.
Myers entered the game with Rhodes in the top of the seventh inning,
where Rhodes earned a save with the 3-2 win. “I’ve waited all season
for a chance to help my team win an important game, and this win
put us into the playoffs,” said Myers.
FOR GOOD CAPTIONS
•Choose strong photographs
•Research to learn the facts
•Tell what happens before, during
and after the action in the photo
• Include the 5 Ws
•Avoid writing the obvious
•Use strong, specific nouns and lively
action verbs
•Grab attention with verbal or visual
lead-ins
GOOD CAPTIONS ALSO
•Avoid editorializing
•Use a variety of sentence structures
•Make use of complete sentences
•Identify all the main participants
with complete names
• Use present tense for the sentence
that captures the action of the
photo (usually the first sentence)
• Use past tense for all subsequent
sentences in the caption
AN EASY FORMULA
•Begin with a lead-in and create style
rules for consistency
•Use present tense for the sentence
that captures the action of the
photo (usually the first sentence)
•Use past tense for all subsequent
sentences in the caption
•Consider requiring a quote from the
subject of each candid photo
IN CAPTIONS, DO NOT
•State the obvious
•Begin with names
•Over-use the same lead-in pattern
•Use “pictured above,” “attempts
to,” “appears to,” or any word not
based on the facts of the photo
•Put words into the mouths of those
who are pictured
MORE CAPTION DON’TS
•Don’t use the obvious
(“During” as a lead, for example)
•Don’t overuse participles and gerunds
(-ing words)
•Don’t use the passive verb “to be”
•Don’t use “gag” or joke captions
•Don’t fill up the caption with a whole
bunch of unnecessary words that just
take extra space without adding value
BONUS TIPS
•Attend the event or function. To be
an effective reporter, you need to
know what you are writing about.
•Pick up a program at every sporting
event (and school performance).
This will help tremendously when
identifying players on both teams.
•Write the caption as soon as
possible after the photo was taken.
MORE CAPTION TIPS
• Interview the people in the photo.
Don’t assume you know what they
are doing or thinking.
• Check and recheck the spelling of
people’s names.
• To add variety to caption leads,
consider beginning captions on
spreads with each of the 5 Ws.
GOOD SPORTS
CAPTIONS
•Identify all players by name and
jersey number.
•Include the position of the player
(guard, forward, goalie) to add
depth to the description.
•If relevant, include the plays and
players that led up to the image.
SPORTS CAP
GUIDELINES
•Be sure to include the result of the
play shown or the outcome of the
game or match.
The reader wants to know
What happened because of the
action shown?
Who was involved?
Who was the opponent?
Who won?
CLUSTER CAPTIONS?
•For years, forbidden by guidelines
for yearbook design, they are now
seen in journalistic books
•Echoing their use in the professional
press, this is a consistent design
decision — not a coping device on
pages without space adjacent to all
photos
CLUSTER CAPTION
RULES
•Design the spread to provide
adequate room for thorough, storytelling captions. Just because they
are all in one block does not mean
that each one does not need to
provide all answers for each photo.
•Provide a clear reference from the
caption to the specific photograph
(i.e. through directional information,
numbers, letters).
SAMPLE CLUSTER CAPS
East Lansing H.S.
Carlson H.S.
GROUP PHOTO CAPS
•The key is consistency.
•ALL group captions in your book
should follow the same guidelines.
•Team group captions should use
the same format as clubs group
captions.
AN EASY FORMULA
•Begin with the name of the group.
•Identify each row from left to right.
•Give clear row designations of
Front Row, Second Row, Third
Row, Back Row, Not Pictured.
•Use emphasis type for the name of
the group and row designation.
•Include first and last names of
everyone in the group photo.
EXAMPLES
GROUP PIC BONUS
TIP
•Bring a notepad/pen for every row.
•Label each with the group name
and row. (i.e. Art Club, Row 2)
•Pass pad/pen down the row as soon
as the photo is taken.
•Instruct students to print their first
and last names neatly.
•Collect completed lists from each row.
•Staple the sheets together to type.
DESIGNING CAPTIONS
•The width of an individual caption
is determined by the book’s grid
structure, and many staffs use a
consistent cap width throughout
the book. Optimal width: 8-13 picas
•Use a consistent justification pattern
throughout the book.
•Captions should be smaller type
than the body copy. If your copy is
in 10 point, use 8 point captions.
DESIGNING CAPTIONS
•Consider a lead-in to visually draw
your reader into the caption.
• Each section should have its own
consistent device: a drop letter, an
all-caps phrase or an echo of the
headline can unify the spread and
set the captions apart.
Charter Oak H.S.
Notice the depth of detail that this staff
included in their captions. Not only do
the captions include the obvious, but
they allow the reader to learn even more
about the people in the photos.
East Lansing
H.S.
Even an empty auditorium
deserves a caption providing
lots of detail. Since local
students often choose between
these two schools, (Michigan
State and Michigan), the
caption info is important.
While the dominant photo often gets
the most detailed caption, every
photograph deserves the same
coverage. By interviewing the player
in this photo, the staffer learned details
that added depth to the coverage.
East Lansing H.S.
Extended captions can become
stand-alone stories when they provide
answers to the 5 Ws and more.
Kansas State University
This extended caption serves
as a lead-in to the complete
coverage on the next spread.
Kansas State
University
Kansas State University
The caption provides a wealth of
specific info about the players and
the team for this outstanding photo.
When a book uses
multiple spreads to cover
a topic, one story-telling
caption can serve as an
effective introduction to
that topic. It can also
serve as a design element
on a theme-related
spread.
Kansas State University
Those staffs using the chronological approach
to coverage (covering a week rather than a
topic, for example) must make extended
captions a priority so that they include all the 5
Ws related to that specific photograph.
North Forsyth High School
YOU TRY IT
• Look at the photo on the next slide.
• Write five questions you would ask
the person.
• Write a lead-in for the caption.
Smoky Hill H.S.
Possible lead-ins? Important questions?
WRITING CAPTIONS
THAT WORK
created in conjunction with
Kathy Daly
Herff Jones Special Consultant
THANK YOU!