Digital News Journalist

(Original post 2/21/08; Updated 9/22/08)

Writing captions for photographs displayed on the Web has many similarities to writing captions for photographs displayed in a newspaper–except we can add a lot more information. Here are some important tips on writing captions for the web:

Sequencing the Images:

• When creating a photo slideshow, select a range of images that tell a story and have a narrative arc.
• The intro image should capture the essence of the piece.
• Subsequent images might be portraits of a people or objects that play a central role in the story. Use close ups, wide angle shots of people interacting with each other or with objects.
• Consider the last image carefully: it should be an image that ties the piece together and entices your readers to read the article.

Writing the Captions:

• The intro image should have a caption that contains information that tells us what the story is about.
• The second caption should contain the condensed “nut graph” of the story which gives your audience the significance of the story.
• Do not explain what is obvious in the image, but rather provide additional information that complements the picture.
• Point out what a casual viewer might miss at first blush.
• If there is a central character in the image, provide the who-what-where-when information.
• For each of the above, consider the two following options:
  1. For some images, describe something telling in the image and then provide background info.
  2. For other images, provide background info and then describe something telling in the photo.
• If a photo essay is running along side a story, have information in the captions that draws people to read the story.
• You also have the ability to link to related articles from within the captions. I wouldn’t put in more than one link per caption.
• Even though a couple of images might be repetitive (i.e., a portrait and then a close-up of the same person), include captions on both. Find a creative way to provide information without being repetitive.
• Consider writing a subhead before each caption.

Examples:

• NYTimes.com: Living at the Edge of a Cliff
• Time.com: China’s Deep Freeze
• WashingtonPost.com: In Kurdistan, Hiking With a Purpose
• NYTimes.com: Fishermen in Karachi, Pakistan
• Time.com: The Perils of Childbirth in Afghanistan