Definition

1. A caption is a mini-story that answers all questions about a photo.

2. A caption requires time, thought, research, variety and consistency to write.

3. A short piece of text under a picture in a book or article that describes the picture or explains what the people in it are doing or saying

Example

Types of Caption

1. Identification Bar : Simply who is in photo

2. Cutline : Who is doing what

3. Summary : who, doing what, when, where, why

4. Expanded : who, doing what, when, where, why, how & Quote

5. Quote : Just quote from the person that explain doing what, when ,where, why, how by the who of the photo

6. Group Identification :A listing of everyone in a group photo

7. Montage Caption : In a photo montage, photo are numbered and captioned or cutlined according to space available

How to investigate Caption

Step one

Investigate every picture as it is being taken

hotographers should be reporters, too, and they should be expected to and prepared to gather information. Reporters shouldn't let photographers go out alone the job belongs to both of them, and they can be gathering more information while the photographer shoots things

Step two

Reinvestigate each picture that will be used.

1. Find out who is doing what in the picture
2. Find out what was going on before and after the picture was taken
3. Find out when and where the event took place and be able to explain why that might be important to the story of the year
4. Find out why this event was taking place and how it represents all the other events of the year or why this event was special

Step three

Set aside time (5-10 minutes is good) to talk to the people in the photograph

DO NOT :
1. ask for a quote!!!
2. tell them you want to interview them.
3. expect them to give you the best story ever if you give them less than 10 seconds to think about it.

Step four

Assemble the caption's 4 parts:

1. Lead-in (photo headline)
2. Present tense sentence
3. Past tense sentence
4. Quote

How to make Caption

Present tense Sentence Caption

1. Provide quick and easy to read information about who is doing what in the picture

2. Each of these sentences should open differently

Past tense Sentence Caption

1. Adds more information about the circumtences surrounding the pictures event.

2. Provides the when,where,why,or how of the photo or the event.

Quote Caption

1. This can be either from a person in the photo or a person related to the action of the photo

2. This should add information that isn't already in the other two sentences

2. This should be something nobody else could say about the event.