Caption Writing Suggestions and Photo Essay Submission Directions

Directions:

Formal Assignment:

Do some research to find an interesting event that will soon take place somewhere near you. Then find an existing publication that publishes photo essays. You will refer to it for cover design and inside layout. 

Imagine that you are being hired by the magazine to cover the event you have researched. The photo-editor at the newspaper has agreed to give your story a photo spread if you can take a compelling photograph that draws an audience!

Create a set of 4-6 images using a mixture of wide, medium and close-up shots illustrating different aspects of salient characteristics of your story… The photos must be strategically relevant to the storytelling, and not just random details. Be sure to think of a likely approach to telling your story before heading out to take pictures.

One of your images should be an eye-catching “grabber” image that will be used as the dominant artwork for the page. This image will be worth more than the others in terms of grading percentages. You must also think of a headline for your story and write captions for each image.

Submit…

Using Adobe InDesign create PDF with a layout of 5-6 images for a newspaper photo essay. You will incorporate a variety of aspect ratios, focal lengths, camera distances, and/or camera angles to create an interesting and coherent story. You will write captions to go with each of your photos.

In addition to the PDF, you will also be required to submit all of the related images to your blog in a post titled Photojournalism Photography.

See link below to online full version of directions

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1UFIVJD2sBzR21ZWXE2YnJaRnc/view?usp=sharing


Submission: E-mail your finished PDF to david.doerr@austinisd.org


Caption Writing Guidelines:

1. Headline: Headline includes a noun and a verb -- is brief (no longer than 8 words -- is accurate -- uses present-tense active verbs (usually in “s” when singular subject) -- eliminates the word “is” if this is the verb used in sentence and contains no punctuation at the end of sentence. The headline is clever and sparks interest in subject of the photo.

Ex.: Akins wins game after embarrassing mishap on court

2. First Sentence: Uses present tense action verb. Describes what is happening in photo.

Ex.: Johnny Tovar runs down the court on a fast break with the ball to score in the game against Bowie High School.

3. Second Sentence: Past tense verb. Provide background information. Describe something you can’t see in photo.

Ex.: Tovar stole the ball from an opponent who lost his balance after his pants fell down in the middle of the game.