CUTLINE COMPONENTS

We will not go into detail here on how your photographs should be posed and what to look for in the way of composition. This will be covered in Chapter 12, Basic Photojournalism. The primary concern now is the text that accompanies the photograph and how it should be written. Although newswriting and cutline writing are closely related, they are different.

The lead in a news story is the most important part of the story. The facts presented in the lead may be expanded and elaborated on in the bridge and body of the story.

The cutline differs in that it is more than a part of the story - it is the whole story. Everything you have to say about the photograph is said in one paragraph. That paragraph must contain the essential facts, and the facts must be tied into the scene in the photograph. The length of a cutine is always governed by what must be told about the photograph. It may consist of one word, one sentence, or it may consist of five sentences.

Cutlines have no set lengths. Strive for simplicity and brevity. The shorter you can write a cutline and still include all the essential information, the better it will be.

As in headline writing, a cutline is written in a manner appropriate to the subject matter. In other words, write a news cutline for a news photograph and a feature cutline for a feature type of photograph.

There are probably as many ways to write cutlines as there are newspapers, magazines and other periodicals. Just about every publication has its own individual requirements and style of cutline writing. Some want long cutlines. Some want only one or two words to tease a reader into reading the accompanying story. Others use no cutline at all.

Only one method of cutline writing will be covered in this chapter. It is considered the handiest formula for a novice writer and consists of the following four major components: 

The action

The identification (persons or things in the photograph)

The background information

The credit line

The Action

The first sentence of a cutline is the most important. It must link with the photograph by describing its action.

One of the peculiarities of the first sentence is its verb form. The verb in the first sentence of a cutline is in the present tense. The reason for this is that photographs, like paintings and sculpture, capture one moment of time and keep it in the present.

Another reason for using the present tense in the first sentence is that it gives the readers a sense of immediacy, as though they were actually witnessing the event shown. Thus a cutline that reads, "Navy Seaman Jack Crevalle swims through swirling flood waters of the Baylinguay River to rescue 6-year-old Tia Maria..." has more dramatic impact than one that reads, "Navy Seaman Jack Crevalle swam through. . .."

One problem that arises from the use of the present tense in the first sentence is what to do with the when element. To put the time element in the first sentence would result in a sentence such as "Ryan Thompson hits a line drive to center field yesterday. . .." This is somewhat jarring to the reader and should be avoided.

To alleviate this problem, you can usually reserve the time element in cutlines for the second sentence. This avoids awkward sentences such as the one just quoted.

The Identification

The second part of a cutline is the identification. This includes an identification of all persons and things vital to the storytelling function of the photograph. Everyone who is involved in the central action of the photograph should be identified. Do not identify persons who are blurred out, obscured or too far away for recognition. Anyone in a photograph who attracts the reader's attention should be identified. The reader's curiosity should never be impeded. If the identity of a pertinent figure in a photograph is unknown, make this fact a part of the cutline.

The next question concerning identification, is where should it be placed in the cutline? The best answer is, it should come as high as possible in the paragraph. Many times it will be possible to identify people at the same time the action is described. For example, in the statement "Seaman Apprentice Jay B. McMannus sounds taps to climax Memorial Day ceremonies . ..." the identification is included as the subject of the action. Sometimes, however, it may be preferable to use an impersonal identification (such as "A Navy musician sounds ...") in the first sentence. In that case, the complete identification should come in the second sentence.

The only exception to the ground rule previously stated is in the case of group identification. When there are several people to be identified in a photograph, it is better that you not clutter the first two sentences with a list of names. This is apt to discourage the reader from finishing the cutline. The recommended way to handle a group photograph is that you use an impersonal identification in the first sentence (such as, "A group of sailors . .."). then list the names later in the cutline. This achieves complete identification without cluttering the important first sentence.

The identification itself can be handled in one of several ways. The idea is to handle it in the most natural and concise reamer consistent with clarity. The best way to identify people is by action. If Kip Karuthers is throwing a pass to Ronnie Gate, it should be obvious from the photograph which one is passing and which one is receiving the ball. Thus they are identified by their activity, and you will not have to use left and right identifications.

Another simple manner of identifying people in a photograph is by obvious contrast. If there are two sailors and an officer in a photograph, it is not necessary to identify the officer as being to the left, or in the center. The officer is well-identified by obvious contrast, therefore, place identification would be superfluous.

Identification by elimination is slightly more complex. Suppose there are four people in a photograph. One of them is receiving a medal from another. These two are identified by the action. A third person is the award recipient's wife. She is identified by obvious contrast. Therefore, the fourth person is identified by elimination.

For example, the identification in the cutline might be handled in the following manner:

"Lt. Wayne E. Pilot receives the Distinguished Flying Cross from his squadron leader, Cmdr. William A. Aviator. Lt. Pilot's wife, Gertrude, and Lt. Cmdr. Thomas V. Hoek, VAP-99 XO, look on."

Finally, there is the traditional left, right, center or "from the left" identification. It is not necessary to say "from left to right." This wastes space. If one starts from the left, there is no place to go but right! Use this type of identification only when the other means of identification will not suffice or when there is a chance of the reader becoming confused.

In cutline identification, avoid bromides, such as "pictured above" or "shown above." It is apparent to both the editor and the reader that something is pictured or shown above the cutline. Even worse are such phrases as "posing for this picture are . .." or "smiling for the camera is . .."

The Background Information

The third component of the cutline is the background information. This consists of additional facts or explanations needed to clarify the subject matter of the photograph. The length of this section of the cutline depends on two factors mentioned earlier: (1) where the photograph will be used and (2) how the photograph will be used.

The amount of background information needed to explain a photograph of carrier operations to a civilian reader will obviously be greater than that needed to explain it to crew members who are participating in such operations.

If a photograph is to accompany a news story, do not duplicate details used in the story. If the photograph is to be used alone, the cutline must be complete.

Cutlines prepared for picture stories are similar to those written for single photographs, except that a story is told by means of a series of related photographs. In this case, a main cutline, usually written for the lead or key photograph of the story, can supply background information for the entire story.

Although present tense is used to describe the action, the correct past, present or future tense is used when presenting background facts related to the action. However, you should be careful of changing tenses in the middle of a sentence.

The Credit Line

The last component of the cutline is the credit line. Most ship and station newspapers use credit lines for photographs.

Figure 9-15. - Cutline set two columns wide.

There are several ways of crediting photographs. Some newspapers and magazines give photographers personal credit lines (this is encouraged for ship and station newspapers). Others use a blanket statement which states, for instance, that "all photos are U.S. Navy photos unless otherwise credited." However, the recommended way is to put the credit line at the end of the cutine itself. The credit line should follow the last word of the cutline, in parentheses in the following manner: (U.S. Navy Photo by JO3 Evelyn Grudge) or (U.S. Navy Photo).