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.)

A typical caption should also identify the unit that produced the photography and, if appropriate, contain a file number. As an example, a typical caption may look something like the following:

Your skill as a caption writer, like any endeavor, will improve with practice. When you write a caption, have the photograph in front of you. This may help you recall just what was taking place. Avoid phrases, such as- Shown above, This is a picture of. . . . or Posing for the camera . . . . These phrases insult the reader's intelligence.

When writing captions, you should always be alert to point out interesting or important things in the photograph that might escape the casual reader. Remember to spell out the meaning of all unfamiliar abbreviations. PHAA may mean Photographer's Mate Airman Apprentice to you, but it may be meaningless to the reader.

Finally, you must remember that the caption should supplement the photograph, not duplicate with words what is readily evident in the photograph.

Captions should always be typed, preferably double spaced, on a separate sheet of paper, such as crack-and-peel stickers or plain, white paper, and affixed to the back of the photograph. When using plain, white paper to prepare and attach a caption to a photo, first type the caption on the bottom of a sheet of paper. Cut off most of the unused portion and fold just above the typing. Attach the caption to the back of the photo with tape so the typed caption folds over the bottom and lies against the face of the photo. When unfolded, the caption is properly positioned at the bottom of the photo.