Photo 135: Introduction
to Photojournalism
Instructor: Sue Leith,
sleith@csus.edu Office
Hours Monday 1 -2pm MRP 2011
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/l/leiths/
Captions
Writing
captions is a fact of life for working photojournalists and gets easier the
more you do it.
The
two most important elements in captions, besides doing them, are
Accuracy DonŐt
restate the visible
On location You need to get the 5 WŐs
who, what, when, where, why
and
if possible, some background information.
Names
Be
sure names are accurate and spelled correctly. Never guess at titles. In large
groups, only identify the most important, recognizable subjects.
Time
Clarify
ambiguities. When did this
happen? Are prior events
relevant?
Keep
tenses accurate
Use
the present tense when referring to the photo.
Use
the past tense when providing background information.
DonŐt
restate the visible
Try
not to start the caption with a name, unless it is someone well known/famous.
Starting with a name leads to describing the photo rather than interpreting it.
DonŐt: Bob Jones rides his bike on the new American
River bike path.
Better: After 2 years of construction, the new American
River bike path is complete. One of the first to try it out is Bob Jones. The path is part of the countyŐs
multi-million dollar program to expand bike routes throughout the area.
Naming
multiple people
DonŐt: from left to right.
Better: from left.
DonŐt
insult your readers
Avoid:
Fred Smith is pictured, or, in the photo above, or, the Pope, standing on the left, or the president,
sitting on the right.
Note
special techniques in the caption
If
you use a special technique, time exposure, photo illustration or a lens that
significantly distorts a subject or situation, state that in the caption.