MODULE 12 CAPTIONS A captions CONTENT combines with

MODULE 12: CAPTIONS

A caption’s CONTENT combines with a photograph to tell a story. 1 2 3 Captions CAPTIONS SHOULD DO MORE THAN STATE THE OBVIOUS. CAPTIONS ANSWER READERS’ QUESTIONS ABOUT A PHOTO. CAPTION WRITING REQUIRES REPORTING. QUOTES FROM INDIVIDUALS IN THE PHOTO ADD DEPTH.

STEP ONE • who: Junior Travis Wilson, competitive wakeboarder • what: spent a week practicing for competitions while on a family vacation • when: vacation, last week of June, competition in July • why: for fun and to improve on last year’s second place • how: practice paid off with a first place medal at the Junior X Series Wakeboarding Championship. 1 2 3 Captions Gather INFORMATION about the photograph, answering the 5 W’s and H.

STEP TWO During an annual family vacation in June at Lake Powell, junior Travis Wilson practices for the upcoming Junior X Series Wakeboarding Championship. 1 2 3 Captions To write a SUMMARY CAPTION, write a sentence in present tense explaining the photo.

STEP TWO During an annual family vacation in June at Lake Powell, junior Travis Wilson practices for the upcoming Junior X Series Wakeboarding Championship. His efforts were rewarded with a first place medal. “I live for wakeboarding. It’s an awesome way to push yourself to the limit. My favorite trick is called a tantrum, which is a true back flip. ” 1 2 3 Captions For an EXPANDED CAPTION write additional sentences providing relevant information and a quote.

STEP THREE • determination • airborne • in the air • “boardum” • water and air • concentration • up and away • concentration • surf the wake 1 2 3 • flying on water • on the fly • board walk • flip • big air • wakeboarder • air male • splash Captions Brainstorm a list of attention-getting impact words; select the best option for the caption LEAD-IN.

The FORMAT of a caption varies with its function. 1 2 3 Captions CAPTION FORMATS RANGE FROM IDENTIFICATIONS TO MINI-STORIES. SPORTS CAPTIONS REQUIRE SPECIFIC DETAILS AND UNDERSTANDING. ONE TYPE OF CAPTION SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

A caption’s DESIGN works with its content to draw readers. A LEAD-IN SERVES AS A MINI-HEADLINE FOR A CAPTION. THE FIRST SENTENCE INDENTIFIES INDIVIDUALS AND EXPLAINS WHAT IS HAPPENING. A SECOND SENTENCE ADDS INFORMATION AND INSIGHTS. WRITING A CAPTION IS LIKE WRITING A POEM; EACH WORD COUNTS. 1 2 3 Captions

1 2 3 Captions Use TYPOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES to emphasize the caption lead-in.