How to Write a Newspaper Photo Caption

Segway riders

A newspaper photo can make a bold statement, intrigue readers to read the accompanying story and offer as many details as room allows. Thus a good caption should be amusing, compelling and explanatory. You can write a newspaper photo caption that includes all of these aspects with a few simple steps.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify any people in the photo. Identifications should include first and last names and why the person is important. For instance, a photo of several people riding on a Segway Personal Transporter may say: “Tucson tourists Jane Doe, Jenny Deer and Julia Dens follow Segway tour leader Jackie Dobs on the personal transporters.”

2. Tell where the photo is taken. Use exact addresses when possible. Also note any neighborhoods or proper place names, like the San Diego Zoo, San Miguel Church or Rockefeller Center. You caption may be amended to include: “Over midtown’s Rattlesnake Bridge.”

3. Include the date, or at least the general time frame. You need not tell readers the Segway riders crossed the bridge at precisely 2:13 p.m. on May 22, but you do want to put it in some context. If you are unsure of the time, you can always throw in phrases like “recently” or “last summer.”

4. Detail the event, if there is one, and briefly explain why this photo is important. The Segway picture is illustrating the popularity of the personal transporters for several reasons. One is the high price of gas, another is because it’s an easy and quick way to tour a city up close and personal.

5. Make the caption easy to read. Break the caption into more than one sentence if necessary. Your final caption may read: “Tucson tourists Jane Doe, Jenny Deer and Julia Dens follow Segway tour leader Jackie Dobs on the personal transporters over midtown’s Rattlesnake Bridge. The trio found Segways an easy way to tour the city last May. Segways, which run on an electric charge, are also increasing in popularity because of high gas prices.”

Tips & Warnings

• Do a rundown of the newspaper checklist of the five Ws and an H. Make your caption answer as many as possible. This checklist includes who, what, when, where, why and how.

• You are generally not expected to name every person in a large crowd shot or if the people are not the main subject surrounding someone that is. “Sting stands with one of his fans.”

• You can use either past or present tense, depending on the particular newspaper’s style.

• If the photo is a headshot of someone, caption the photo with just their name.

• Don’t simply state the obvious. “Four people on Segways are riding over cement.”

• Don’t get too detailed. “One Segway was yellow, two were red and one was blue.” Who cares?

• Don’t inject your opinion. “Segways are great, which is why these four people are riding them” is not the way to go.

• Don’t forget a photo can often be worth a thousand words on its own. You are adding details and explanations, not simply writing a description of what’s in the photo.