1. A caption reports all important information about a photo.
Caption Writing
A caption reports all important information about a photo.

2. A CAPTION IDENTIFIES THE PEOPLE IN THE PHOTO.
A caption is a mini-story that answers all questions about a photo.
A caption must:
Answers the five Ws and H: who, what, when, where, why and how
Provides information the reader might not know
Requires time, research, variety and consistency to write

3. GAG CAPTIONS AREN’T FUNNY TO EVERYONE.
Captions poking fun at people or situations in photos are unacceptable by responsible journalistic standards. 
Although intended to be fun, gag captions can offend readers, generate complaints from students and parents and even result in lawsuits.
They are best avoided.

4. CAPTIONS RANGE FROM IDENTIFICATION TO MINI-STORIES.
Every photo in the yearbook demands a caption.
At minimum, people in photos must be identified.
Most staffs provide more details that candid identifications, opting for summary or extended captions.
Candid identifications identify individuals and include a brief explanation of the content.
Summary captions answer the five Ws and H.
Expanded captions answer the five Ws and H and provide additional details.
Group identifications name the group and identify individuals.

5. The key to quality caption writing lies in effective reporting.
CAPTIONS REQUIRE RESEARCH AND INTERVIEWS.
Each caption requires leg work and information gathering.
Start by locating the people in the photos and conduct mini-interviews, taking care to accurately write down direct quotes and background information.
Also, consult interview and research notes compiled for the stories on the spread.
Look for relevant and interesting information that can be reported in captions.
START WITH A LEAD-IN.
If written with flair, the lead-in can provide a catchy verbal link to a photo.
Use one or two words or a short phrase that will preview or tease the content of the photos.
For best results, staff members might want to brainstorm in pairs for creative lead-ins.
The lead-in serves as a mini-headline, called an overline, for the caption.
It can be typeset in a different font, size or weight of type for added impact.

6. A caption often contains at least two sentences – a summary sentence and a descriptive sentence.
THE SUMMARY SENTENCE COVERS THE BASICS.
Using present tense, the summary sentence identifies all key individuals by first and last name and explains what is happening in photos.
All reader questions, the five Ws and H, should be answered while avoiding stating obvious information a reader can figure out by looking at the photo.
THE DESCRIPTIVE SENTENCE FINISHES THE STORY.
The descriptive sentence, since it provides background information, is best written in past tense.
This sentence might explain the outcome or consequences of action shown in the photo or add interesting information that relates to the photo.
QUOTES BRING THE PHOTO TO LIFE.
Quotes from individuals captured on film can bring photos to life and add a human perspective.
As in stories, direct quotes are preferred over indirect quotes.

7. Quotes Direct quote: Partial quote: Indirect quote:
Information supplied by and credited to a source that the writer uses word-for-word to provide insight.
“It was a remarkable season. It was the greatest feeling in the world to win the state championship in the Dome in front of so many of our fans,” quarterback Justin Featherston said.
Partial quote:
Isolated word-for-word information from a source to give a quick insight into the story.
Quarterback Justin Featherston said “it was the greatest feeling in the world” to win the state championship.
Indirect quote:
Paraphrased or reworded statement of a source; least effective and causes the most trouble for writers.
Quarterback Justin Featherston said winning the state championship was the highlight of the football season.