This document provides guidelines for writing effective photo captions as a journalism teacher. It recommends that captions be short (around 15 words), directly related to and supplement the photo without just describing what is seen. Captions should answer who, what, where, when and why about the photo and identify people accurately. Captions should match the mood of the photo and not contradict what is depicted. Standard caption format includes noun, verb, location, date. The document also lists the credentials and awards of the author as a photographer.

1. Mr. Jeffrey G. Delfin
Senior High School Teacher III
Cabangan National High School
July 23, 2017

2.  Is about the entire process of: finding
the object to photograph, taking the
photograph, processing the image and
presenting the image.

3.  Should have a working knowledge of
his outfit – camera, lens, and film;
 Should know a little of art and be
possessed with a notion of contrast ,
angle and shapes;
 Must have a nose for drama, oddity,
rarity, action and for human interest
stories;

4.  Must be acquainted with the important
as well as with the notorious people
who break into the news often;
 Must have diplomacy and tact when
covering risky assignments like fires,
riots, rallies, and demonstrations; and
 Must be acquainted with the libel laws,
since libel suits can also proceed from
pictures.

5.  A caption is the text of body type,
accompanying photos or art work or
any pictorial illustration. It is
sometimes called cutline or underline.
The title or explanatory matter above
the illustration is called overline.

6.  Caption should be closely related to
the picture so that the reader may be
able to take in picture and caption at a
glance. This explains why the caption
should be underneath the picture
when there are other materials on the
page.
 The caption can be at the side when
caption and picture are isolated.

7.  All rules in news printing apply to
caption writing.
 Captions should be written in short
pithy sentences, say an average of 15
words for a sentence.

8.  Captions should supplement what is
seen. They are not captions if they
merely tell the reader what he can see.
A caption of a picture showing
President Arroyo speaking should not
say, “President Arroyo Speaking.” See
to it that the caption supplements the
pictorial information briefly.

9.  The caption should not contradict the
photo, e.g., Boy Scout planting tree
seedlings but the boys scouts are
looking at the camera smiling and not
planting.
 Don’t begin caption “Photo shows”
especially if it really doesn’t or “ In the
Photo are..” This is totally
unnecessary.

10.  The basic questions every caption
must tell of its pictures are: Who,
What, Where, When and Why. Who are
in the picture? What are they doing in
it? When are they doing?
 Give the full Christian name or first
name to identify everyone in the
picture and be accurate. This is
important, but which of course cannot

11.  be done for crowd scenes. When you
name people in the caption, make it
clear who is who.
 A gay (happy) picture should have a
gay caption. A somber (serious or sad)
picture should not make weak jokes.
Match the caption with the mood of
the picture. This is a question of
judgment.

12.  Don’t rewrite the news story as a
caption. This merely wastes space.
 A caption is conversational. It should
exploit the picture potential interest,
e. g., President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo in Filipiniana dress while Vice
President Noli De Castro in military
attire. These should be mentioned in
the caption.

13.  A standard cutline is written as such:
(Noun) (verb) (direct object) during
(proper event name) at (proper noun
location) in (city) on (day of the week),
(month) (date), (year). Why or How.

14.  Example:
Dallas firefighters (noun) battle
(present-tense verb) a fire (direct
object) at the Fitzhugh Apartments
(proper noun location) near the
intersection of Fitzhugh Avenue and
Monarch Street in Dallas (city) on
Thursday (day of the week), July
(month) 1 (date), 2004 (year).

30. JEFFREY G. DELFIN
• Gawad Silip Alagad ng Sining Awardee - Visual Arts Photography (2017)
•Top 30 winner (Culture Category) in the “Time Magazine Submit Your
World”-Asia Pacific Video Contest 2015.
•3rd place in Pinoy Lens In Climate Change sponsored by United Nations'
World Food Programme-Philippines (2013)
•2nd Place in Readers' Digest Asia Philippine's Love Photo Contest (2012)