Q&A for How to Write Good Captions in Photojournalism

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How do you caption a photo?

Heather Gallagher
Professional Photojournalist & Photographer
Heather Gallagher is a Photojournalist & Photographer based in Austin, Texas. She runs her own photography studio named "Heather Gallagher Photography" which was voted Austin's Best Family Photographer and top 3 Birth Photographers in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Heather specializes in family Photojournalism and has over 15 years of experience documenting individuals, families, and businesses all over the world. Her clients include Delta Airlines, Oracle, Texas Monthly, and her work has been featured in The Washington Post and The Austin American Statesman. She is a member of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP).

Heather Gallagher

Professional Photojournalist & Photographer

Expert Answer

In photojournalism, you're really trying to be objective. So captions for those kinds of images have to be as objective and descriptive as possible, and you don't want to really put your own emotion or feeling into it. As a freelance photographer, when I work with people closely, I try as much as possible to have them involved and either write their own captions or tell me what it meant to them to be photographed or why they wanted this certain event photographed. I'm not here projecting or telling a story that's not true. I'm telling all factual stories, but I'm just a witness.

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Question

How do I add a caption to a photo in Word?

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Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Select the photo, then open the References tab. Go to the Captions group and click “Insert Caption.” Enter any text you want in the text box, and change the label of the caption if you like (e.g., select “Figure” from the dropdown menu). When you’re done, click “OK.”

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What’s the importance of a caption in photojournalism?

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The caption provides critical information that helps the viewer understand the picture and its context. Without a good caption, your readers will have a harder time understanding the story you are trying to tell.

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How important is it to include time and date in the photo caption?

Community Answer

In photojournalism, it is important to include a reference to when the photo was taken. This can be a specific time, an event, or a year.

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How do I mention an unknown photographer?

Community Answer

Cite the work as 'author/photographer unknown'. This is the correct form for anonymous pieces.

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What questions should answer the caption in photojournalism?

Community Answer

Who, what, when, where, why and how. This would help the readers have more information or details on your work.

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What is the rule of thirds?

Community Answer

You use the rule of thirds when you shoot with a grid. Whoever occupies the most space of the grid is your main subject.

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What is the difference between photography and photojournalism?

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Photojournalism is a subset (type) of photography. While photography just means taking pictures, photojournalism refers specifically to photos taken for the purpose of documenting a news story.

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