Basic Photography Course

IDENTIFICATION

The second element of caption writing,

identification, frequently poses the question of who or
what should be identified in the photograph. There is no

magic formula to cover every situation, but the general
guideline is to identify everyone or everything that is
identifiable. and pertinent to the action. A pertinent
individual or object is one that is involved in the central
action of the photograph. In other words, anyone or
anything in the photograph that attracts attention should
be identified. Identification should come as early as

possible in the caption. Many times you can identify
people or things at the same time you describe the action.

"BM3 Jack R. Frost sounds taps to climax
Memorial Day ceremonies . . . ."

Here the action and the man are identified together. The
only exception to placing names high in the caption is
in the case of group identification. The recommended
way to handle group photographs and still maintain
reader interest is to use an impersonal identification in

the first sentence; that is, "A group of sailors . . .," then
list the names at the end of the caption. This method

achieves complete identification without cluttering the
all-important first sentence.

Identification in caption writing can be handled in

any one of several ways. The idea is to handle it in the
most natural and concise manner consistent with clarity.
To ensure consistency, the caption writer generally uses
four methods of identification:

Action

Obvious contrast

Elimination

From the left

Action

is, of course, the best method. When a little

league baseball player is sliding into second base, it

should be obvious from the action which boy is the base
runner; therefore, it is not necessary to say left or right
as a means of identifying the players.

Obvious contrast

is another simple way of

identifying people in a photograph. If the commanding
officer and an airman recruit are photographed, it is not
necessary to identify the commanding officer as being
left or right.

Identification by elimination is slightly more

complex but nevertheless very effective. Suppose there
are four people shown in a photograph. The

commanding officer of the photo school is presenting a
citation to a third class petty officer. These two are
identified by the action. A third person, the petty
officer's wife, standing alongside, is identified by
obvious contrast. The fourth person, the award
recipient's division officer, is then identified by
elimination.

The fourth and least desirable method of

identification is from the left. This method of
identification should be used only as a last resort or when
there is a chance of confusion from using any of the other
methods, such as in identifying groups of people. When
you use this method of identification, it is not necessary

to say, "`From left to right." To do so only wastes space.
Logic tells us that if we start from the left there is no
place to go except to the right. The task is therefore
simplified by saying, "From the left."

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Background information is our third element of

caption writing. It consists of additional facts or
explanations needed to clarify the photograph. It is often
impossible for the photograph and the five Ws alone to
provide all the details necessary for a complete
understanding of the photograph. Therefore, it becomes

necessary to provide the viewer with additional
information for the purpose of clarifying the
photograph.

How much background information is needed to

clarify a photograph depends on two factors: where the
photograph is to be used and how it is to be used.

CREDIT LINE

The last part of caption writing is the credit line.

The usual method is to credit both the photographer and
the service. While there is not a set standard for giving

credits, the following format can be used:

Official U. S. Navy Photo by:

PH2 Jack R. Frost, USN

Or the credit line can follow directly after the last word
of the caption, as shown in the following example:

Line handlers cast off the stem line as the
amphibious force flagship, USS Eldorado
(AGC-11) gets under way for a Western Pacific
deployment. (Official U. S. Navy Photo by:
PH2 Jack R. Frost, USN.)

6-14

contents

Basic Photography Course

<- previous page

next page ->


DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> IDENTIFICATION The second element of caption writing, identification, frequently poses the question of who or what should be identified in the photograph. There is no magic formula to cover every situation, but the general guideline is to identify everyone or everything that is identifiable. and pertinent to the action. A pertinent individual or object is one that is involved in the central action of the photograph. In other words, anyone or anything in the photograph that attracts attention should be identified. Identification should come as early as possible in the caption. Many times you can identify people or things at the same time you describe the action. "BM3 Jack R. Frost sounds taps to climax Memorial Day ceremonies . . . ." Here the action and the man are identified together. The only exception to placing names high in the caption is in the case of group identification. The recommended way to handle group photographs and still maintain reader interest is to use an impersonal identification in the first sentence; that is, "A group of sailors . . .," then list the names at the end of the caption. This method achieves complete identification without cluttering the all-important first sentence. Identification in caption writing can be handled in any one of several ways. The idea is to handle it in the most natural and concise manner consistent with clarity. To ensure consistency, the caption writer generally uses four methods of identification: Action Obvious contrast Elimination From the left Action is, of course, the best method. When a little league baseball player is sliding into second base, it should be obvious from the action which boy is the base runner; therefore, it is not necessary to say left or right as a means of identifying the players. Obvious contrast is another simple way of identifying people in a photograph. If the commanding officer and an airman recruit are photographed, it is not necessary to identify the commanding officer as being left or right. Identification by elimination is slightly more complex but nevertheless very effective. Suppose there are four people shown in a photograph. The commanding officer of the photo school is presenting a citation to a third class petty officer. These two are identified by the action. A third person, the petty officer's wife, standing alongside, is identified by obvious contrast. The fourth person, the award recipient's division officer, is then identified by elimination. The fourth and least desirable method of identification is from the left. This method of identification should be used only as a last resort or when there is a chance of confusion from using any of the other methods, such as in identifying groups of people. When you use this method of identification, it is not necessary to say, "`From left to right." To do so only wastes space. Logic tells us that if we start from the left there is no place to go except to the right. The task is therefore simplified by saying, "From the left." BACKGROUND INFORMATION Background information is our third element of caption writing. It consists of additional facts or explanations needed to clarify the photograph. It is often impossible for the photograph and the five Ws alone to provide all the details necessary for a complete understanding of the photograph. Therefore, it becomes necessary to provide the viewer with additional information for the purpose of clarifying the photograph. How much background information is needed to clarify a photograph depends on two factors: where the photograph is to be used and how it is to be used. CREDIT LINE The last part of caption writing is the credit line. The usual method is to credit both the photographer and the service. While there is not a set standard for giving credits, the following format can be used: Official U. S. Navy Photo by: PH2 Jack R. Frost, USN Or the credit line can follow directly after the last word of the caption, as shown in the following example: Line handlers cast off the stem line as the amphibious force flagship, USS Eldorado (AGC-11) gets under way for a Western Pacific deployment. (Official U. S. Navy Photo by: PH2 Jack R. Frost, USN.) 6-14 contents Basic Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
	WWW.DOFMASTER.COM © 2006 Don Fleming. All rights reserved.