How to Write an Arts Photo Caption on the Web

A photo caption of one or two sentences can have tremendous impact if it is written as a clean and crisp narrative. As in a successful press release, all the key information required to get an arts event noticed can be contained within a few well-written sentences.

Instructions

Writing arts photo caption for the Web

1. Select an action photo. If you are promoting a musical event, rather than selecting a photo of a violinist holding a violin, use a photo of him in the act of playing the violin. If you're the person overseeing all promotion for this event, direct the photographer to take action photos so that you will have them on hand when writing your caption. A photo of a dancer should be of someone dancing. The same holds for an actor. An action or motion shot will catch the reader's attention more so than a staged or head shot.

2. Draft the caption from a press release, if one is available. This means you won't have to search for key content (the who, what, where, when and why). If there are any people in the photo who need to be identified, be sure you have the correct spelling of their names and appropriate titles. If you're linking to a website in the text, be sure to test the link before posting.

3. Decide if you'll be writing a pre- or post-event caption. Post-event captions should be written in the past tense, such as, "John Smith won the crowd over Friday night when he premiered a new work by Jane Doe with the Springfield Orchestra." Try to use creative language rather than simply stating what took place, where and when. If you're posting a pre-event caption, write in the future tense, such as, "John Smith will perform the world premiere of a chamber piece by Jane Doe Friday, June 20, at 8 p.m. at the Lowell Center. The Springfield Orchestra, under the direction of Joshua Mason, will accompany Mr. Smith." A pre-event caption should be more informative than a post-event caption, as your goal is to draw people to the event.

4. Use a quote from a pertinent source when writing a post-event caption. If the event was covered by the media, extract the most effective portion of the quote to get attention. Start off with one sentence from the quote, then attribute the quote to the writer, and follow that with the second part or sentence of quote. EXAMPLE: "'The Springfield Symphony rocked the Lowell Center Friday night with an astounding rendition of a new chamber work,' wrote CiCi Dayton of the Springfield News. 'Violinist virtuoso John Smith did justice to an often-demanding concerto by the up-and-coming composer, Jane Doe, a local resident.'"

5. Keep in mind that a post-event caption can be longer and contain more information. They are sometimes written in paragraph form, especially in the case of smaller news organizations that have the room to include the listing, but did not have a staff member to cover the event itself. EXAMPLE: "John Smith won the crowd over Friday night when he premiered a new work by Jane Doe with the Springfield Orchestra. The piece, 'A New Frontier,' was commissioned by the Porterfield Foundation and is Doe's first foray into orchestral writing. The sold out concert was reviewed by CiCi Dayton of the Springfield News, as well as many other members of the local media. To read reviews, visit www.xxxxxx.com."

Tips & Warnings

• Don't select a photo that is too specific to the action taking place in the photo if it doesn't convey your message or the arts event itself. In other words, selecting a photo of a violinist performing with another musician who didn't perform at the event wouldn't make sense, as you'd have to explain who the other musician was. The photo should either capture an event to take place in the future or recap an event that has already taken place.

• Be sure you have permission or releases for anyone pictured in the photo. If a minor has been photographed, you will most likely need written, parental permission.

• Be sure to properly credit the photographer who took the photo. Check with her to find out how she should be credited. There is usually specific language she'll ask you to use. Depending on your contractual agreement with the photographer, you may or may not have to use the copyright symbol.