As part of our series, “The Essentials,” today’s focus is captions, a critical component of coverage.
After headlines, captions are the most read copy in the yearbook. And yet, they tend to be a neglected part of reporting. Because captions provide the story behind the photos, they are vital readers’ aids and resources.
Whenever possible, write an expanded caption for dominant and secondary photos. A simple ABCD approach guides students to write storytelling captions:
A – Action Lead-in—a miniature headline for the caption that draws the reader in; often just two or three words.
B – Basic Information—the who, what, when and where information to let the reader know what's happening in the photo (without stating the obvious); written in present tense.
C– Complementary information—a second sentence providing new and interesting information about the photograph; includes facts, statistics or other details about the game, event or subject; written in past tense.
D – Direct quote—additional sentence(s) completes the caption by providing insight about the moment captured; focuses on emotions, thoughts, opinions, reflections or reactions; paraphrase facts and include with the complementary information (C).
Over time memories fade, but a yearbook with great captions will bring the year into focus for your readers by identifying people, describing action, recording reactions and providing details.
