Describe the action going on in a photograph. WRITING CAPTIONS Describe the action going on in a photograph.  

WHERE CAN YOU SEE CAPTIONS? Newspapers Magazines Internet Books TV most print material that has pictures

WHAT IS A CUTLINE? A cutline is a short explanation or description of a picture located near the picture. It can be on either side of the picture, above the picture, or below the picture. The information included in a cutline is very detailed and specific, but short and to the point. A caption doesn’t always tell the whole story. A caption often accompanies a story.

Captions and cutlines are used to describe the actions in photographs Captions and cutlines are used to describe the actions in photographs. As with headlines, captions and cutlines must be crisp. They must be readable and informative.     Captions: Captions are the little “headlines” over the “cutlines” (the words describing the photograph). See example.    Cutlines: Cutlines (at newspapers and some magazines) are the words (under the caption, if there is one) describing the photograph or illustration.

 See example (Imagine the example was for a photo of a debate between Obama and Romney. Caption………… Obama vs. Romney  Cut line……….. President Obama and former Republican challenger Mitt Romney have agreed to disagree over the rules of a “debate” scheduled between the two in the Capitol Rotunda.   

WHAT SHOULD A CAPTION INCLUDE? THE FIVE W'S and H! Who is in the picture? (if 1-5 people, list names from left to right) Where was the picture taken? What is happening in the picture? What happened before or after the picture was taken? When did this happen? Why did this happen? Why is this picture important? How did this happen?

EXAMPLE OF A CUTLINE Cast members Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart attend the premiere of the movie "Twilight" at the Mann Village and Bruin theatres in Westwood, California November 17, 2008. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer and opens in the U.S. on November 21.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

TIPS FOR WRITING CAPTIONS Don’t state the obvious. Give some information that the reader may not know. If a caption is included with a full story or article, keep it short, only 1-2 sentences. If a caption stands alone, without a story or article, 3-5 sentences would be appropriate. Don’t assume anything, especially if a picture includes animals. You don’t know what someone else or something is thinking!

WHAT SHOULD A CAPTION INCLUDE? THE FIVE W'S and H! Who is in the picture? (if 1-5 people, list names from left to right) Where was the picture taken? What is happening in the picture? What happened before or after the picture was taken? When did this happen? Why did this happen? Why is this picture important? How did this happen?

ANALYZE The following 5 slides are examples of captions. Check to see if each caption answers the five W’s and H and if it is detailed but short.

Kyle Busch waves the checkered flag to the crowd after winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup Food City 500 race in Bristol, Tenn. in 2009.

A South Korean conservative activist holds pictures of US journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee during a rally denouncing the North's detention of the journalists in Seoul on June 4, 2009.

Tiger Woods celebrates after chipping in for eagle on the 11th hole during the final round of the Memorial golf tournament on Sunday in Dublin, Ohio. Woods won the event.

In Mexico City in May, a student wore a mask to protect himself against swine flu.

Onlookers and would-be rescuers survey 65 long-finned pilot whales lying dead on Monday on Rheban Beach, east of Hobart, Australia, after a mass stranding on Sunday. Normally at home in deep oceanic waters, the thin, black-skinned four-metre whales were out of their usual habitat when 150 became stranded on two beaches on the southern island state of Tasmania. Rescuers saved 40.

ASSIGNMENT You will now write a cutline for the following photograph (don’t forget to write your name on your paper!). The photograph was taken of a New Caney road (Make up the rest of the information).

Write a cutline about an Obama speech. Make up the facts of where, when, and why Obama gave the speech.