(Photographers must ferret out this kind of material.) The person dressed “in black,” “holding the water hose,” “sulky from chagrin,” or “standing to the left of the sofa, center” are helpful identifying factors. Descriptions are very helpful for viewer.Don’t try to be humorous when the picture is not.This will creates a sense of immediacy and impact. A photograph captures a moment in time.If the photograph is a historic or file photo, include the date that it was taken.Avoid using terms like “is shown, is pictured, and looks on.”.Be willing to contact and include the visual reporter. Ask questions in your effort to inform and be specific. If you must be judgmental, be sure you seek the truth. “An unhappy citizen watches the protest…” Can you be sure that he is unhappy? Or is he hurting. Don’t let cutlines recapitulate information in the head or deck or summary.Always identify the main people in the photograph.“Dennis Rodman smiles as he kicks a broadcast photographer in the groin.” Here are a few suggestions to follow when writing captions. The reader/viewer expects nothing less than accurate, complete, and informative information, including captions. A poorly executed caption can destroy the message of a photo or the story package of which it is part.

Photo captions are an integral part of newspaper storytelling, but they are often the most underdeveloped element in the mix of words, graphics, and photographs in a newspaper.

Examples of cutlines under photos