Photographs are often
stories in themselves. They grab readers and make them ask questions.
They speak in ways that text simply can't. Yet, if paired with boring
or confusing captions, powerful photos can lose some of their magic.
"Good captions give
essential information that can draw the reader
into
the story and, hopefully, keep them interested enough to actually read
it," wrote Poynter's Anne Van Wagener in
It's a Great Image. Now what. "Keep the caption informative and rich."
Here are a few simple tips for writing effective captions, taken from
"Creating Captions They'll Love" by Jack Mulkey of the
Daily Breeze in
Torrance, Calif. :
"Don't repeat the reporter's exact
wording… Try to look for another angle for the caption that will pull
in a reader if the headline doesn't."
"If there's room in a caption, a quote from a story can be an excellent way to draw in readers."
"If space is tight, however, don't use details from the story at the expense of making the subject of the photo unclear."
So don't waste
powerful photos on dull captions. Remember that the picture speaks, but
the caption tells. Effective editors use both.
