>>> Caption

Writing <<<

Example: Caption Action

Parts/Starts/Arts

Take The Lead-In

> Contentparts

Lead-in serves as a miniheadline for the photo caption

First sentence identifies & describes the action or reaction
of the photo showcasing the
most important 5 Ws & H
details (in present tense)

Types

Ident

Example

Best
Use

Jim Jansen -- seniors win penny count with $1248

Only a brief description is

needed with the person/
group identification

Summary

Penny pincher Adding the last pennies to bring

the total to a record $1248, president Jim Jansen
leads seniors to four out of four class competition
wins.

The most important

5Ws & H are highlighted
with the most important
information starting the
summarization of details

Quote

When the rules changed and only pennies were allowed, I knew we were doomed; but we took fives and
tens to the bank and brought in rolls of pennies to win
with $1248.Senior President Jim Jansen

Expanded

Penny-wise Adding the last pennies to set a

record $1248, president Jim Jansen leads seniors to
four out of four class competition wins. Money raised
benefitted the Childrens League. When the rules
changed and only pennies were allowed, I knew we
were doomed; but we took fives and tens to the bank
and brought in rolls of pennies. Jim Jansen

Types: Collection & Group

A premium is placed
on the human interest
aspect of the photo with
the subject or someone
closely related to the
activity providing keen
information & insights
A full explanation &
understanding of the importance of the activity or
event can be presented
in a more in-depth written report including all
the 5Ws & H as well as a
direct quote

Collection Most collection captions are two-part. One caption serves as an overview of all photos in the
grouping giving information & insights relevant to all. The second idents/briefly describes each individual photo.
Group Identify the group as well as individual members of the group by first and last names beginning with
front or bottom row and continuing to back or top row.

Second sentence adds information & insights featuring

the outcome or consequences of the action not
obvious in the photo (in past
tense)

Bad

Quote first person account

from someone in picture or
close to the activity

Better

Random facts little known

facts that enhance the photo/
caption story

> Contentstarts
Adjacent with lead-ins

Number- or letter-coded
Verbal or visual directions
Linear pull-outs

> Contentarts

Distinctive lead-ins boldface,

larger point size, dropped initial letters, dingbats, graphics
(lines, tints, black bars with
reverse type)
Body 8 point condensed type
allows for more words in
smaller amount of space
Featured content use a
distinctive type style to showcase quotes, random facts or
other special information

Junior Tom Jansen runs the ball for a touchdown.

Scoring the winning touchdown against Central High

School, junior Tom Jansen guarantees the Patriots a
chance for the state championships

Best

STRAIGHT TO STATE. Bound for the state championship finals, junior Tom Jansen runs the winning touchdown against arch-rival Central High School in the last
three seconds of the district title game. Tom won MVP
honors setting a school, district and state record for the
most interceptions in a single game with a total of 8
catches.

Do

Capture readers in the first five-seven words of the caption with attention-getting information. Answer the
5Ws & H in order of importance. Use visual nouns and
strong action verbs.

Dont

State the obvious or begin with a name. Avoid the

overuse of the same kinds of starting words, especially
those ending in -ing.

>>> Caption Writing

captions

AT T R A C T I O N

On Your Own

Effective caption writing requires the same exhaustive

reporting skills as story writing.

On a separate sheet of paper, write
the four kinds of captions (ident/
summary/quote/expanded) for this
photo using the three-step process.
For this hands-on, interview a staff
member who can role play the person in the photo so you can practice
designing questions as well as asking
them.

lead-in

List as many attention-getting words and/or phrases that come to mind when
looking at the photo that could serve as the photo-caption connection.

basicinformation

Through information-gathering, you can collect all the information &

insights essential to the storytelling.
who: Identify the subject(s) of the photo w/complete first and last
name(s). Check names for spelling.
what: Accurately & intimately describe the action in the photo.
when: Get specific; showcase time when it plays a vital role.
where: Be descriptive; capture the sights & sounds.

complementaryinformation

Discovering the why and how provides the little, unknown

facts that make the caption more interesting. Remember
to uses past tense!
why: Expand coverage by going behind the scenes and beyond what you see in the photo. Explore the motivations
and feelings of the participants.
how: Dig deeper to find the inside story that your reader
wants & deserves to know.

Words
> Reader mandates
for more photos have placed
more value on the contributions of well-reported and
well-written captions to communicate the overall story of
the activity or event.
> Reporting
30-45 minutes
By the time you plan
questions, track down your
sources & ask them for
details, you will have invested
at least 30 minutes. More
time will be required if you
need to gather background
information or conduct a
poll/survey to make the story
more meaningful.
> Writing/editing
30 minutes
After information has been
collected you will need to devote time to prioritizing details
& quotes which best tell the
story not obvious in the photo
action/reaction. Carefully consider each part of the caption

in this
module

& pictures combine to

tell the most captivating stories.
Give every caption the attention
it deserves to complete the story
only started by the photograph.
When reporting...

Report: Research, poll/survey & conduct

interviews to gather information/insights
critical to the photo story.

When writing...

Identify: Completely & accurately identify

the individuals (name, title, grade) or groups.
Describe: Creatively & specifically in
words, draw a mental picture of the action/
reaction of the photo avoiding a boring
restatement of the obvious.
Detail: Add little known random facts
about the activity/event or tell the results
or outcome of the action.
Quote: Personalize the action/reaction
with a one-of-a-kind, human interest quote
from someone involved in or affected by
the photo content.

When editing...

Edit: Be concise using image-evoking

nouns & strong action verbs.

CAPTION REPORTING & WRITING | CAPTION PARTS/STARTS/ARTS | CAPTION OPTIONS | HANDS-ON

Presented by Your Jostens Creative Accounts Managers...
John Cutsinger, Tina Klecka, Kristi Rathbun, Shannon Williams