In the vast expanse of our increasingly digital lives and work, the significance of finding a compelling title for your photographs has soared to new heights. Once confined to the realms of esteemed photographers, such as photojournalists chronicling current events and artistic visionaries, the practice of titling images has undergone a profound transformation.
In today’s era, fueled by the omnipresence of social media and the ever-expanding realm of internet media, the art of crafting captivating titles has emerged as a pivotal element for the triumph of your visual creations. The act of bestowing a title upon an image amplifies its potential for sharing, endowing your posts with a cohesive concept and valuable context.
A meticulously titled photograph can effortlessly convey the essence, subject matter, and narrative encapsulated within our captured frames. Yet, the art of title creation is as inventive and distinctive as the process of capturing the photograph itself, replete with its own creative nuances and idiosyncrasies.
Key Takeaways:
- The title of a photograph depends on its purpose, whether it’s artistic or journalistic, archival, or for SEO optimization.
- Artistic or journalistic titles aim to convey identity, clarity, and context while narrating the nature of the image.
- Archival titles focus on easy retrieval within a collection and overall organization.
- SEO titles are optimized for search engines, using tags and alternative text for visually impaired users.
- Effective photograph titles captivate viewers by providing context and conveying the mood or subtle details.
- Descriptive titles should get straight to the context, relay the photo’s mood, and offer creative elements.
- Techniques for perfect photograph titles include “The Stephen Shore” (date and location-focused), “The Technical Review” (camera specs), “The Photojournalist” (short sentence storytelling), “The Poetic Titles” (deeply descriptive), “The Pop-Culture Reference” (using famous references), and “The Anti-Title” (contradictory and ironic).
- The chosen title should align with the purpose of the photograph and engage viewers in a meaningful way.
What is a good photography title?
The way that we go about naming photographs first depends on the purpose of the photo itself. The intended location and viewer of the image will impact how we title the photo and the words we use to describe it.
Below we have separated photographs into three purposes. Each purpose will guide the type of descriptive titles you will use.
Titling Photos that are Artistic or Journalistic:
When we title an artistic or journalistic photograph, an important element that we are working towards is identity. We want our title to give the clarity and focus of our images, which relates it to the viewer’s life and experiences.
We are also giving our photos titles to put them into a specific place and date in time. As photographers, we are freezing a moment in time, and this moment will often be lost if we do not give it the context it was made in.
The details of our different titles also help us narrate the nature of the image, especially if it contains lots of movement or obscured images. This narration also helps us to create clarity in the image and helps us point out any potential misunderstandings of the image.
Titling our photos also gives our viewers additional information that enriches the photo.
Titling Archival Photos:
When we are titling Archival photos, the description of the photo becomes less important than where the photo sits amongst the greater collection of work we have created. We want our pictures to be easy to find in the future, but we also want our entire collection of work to be well organized.
Ideally, our archival photos are titled in a way that is obvious for us to find later, as necessary.
Titling SEO Photos:
When we title photos for SEO, we are optimizing the website our picture appears on, to better inform a search. This is less related to beauty and art, and more closely related to the searches related to our content. We use tags to guide potential viewers to the images on our page or website.
We are also allowing the visually impaired to share in the ideas presented by our image. The alternative text we use to describe our photos will be read out as a visually impaired person searches our site.
It is important to note that SEO-ready photography titles are an important part of SEO, and taking time to properly understand how to correct titles for SEO will save a great deal of trouble in the future.
How do you caption a photo?
We are now going to be leaving archival and SEO titles behind for a moment. Instead, in the rest of the article, we will be placing focus on the methods used to create incredible descriptive titles. These are creative titles, useful mainly for artistic or journalistic purposes.
Tips for Creating a Great Title:
Regardless of the type of title we are trying to create, we will create good ones when we do the following:
Get Straight to the Context.
Using words that describe exactly what is being seen in the image is great for creating an interesting title.
Try to Relay the Mood of the Photo
Answer questions about the subtle context of the picture by using descriptive words. we do not need to be exact, instead, we can use metaphors or similes that run along the same lines as our intended purpose for the photo.
Be Creative
A title does not need to simply refer to the exact content of the picture. It can give the viewer a sense of the atmosphere, or serve as an example of what the viewer should feel. Heck, your photo could be called something utterly obscure, or funny even.
The other side of a photo title is the creative process of finding the images, making the photographs, and embedding them with purpose and meaning.
Techniques for the Perfect Photograph Title:
There are a few techniques that photographers can use to make interesting titles for our viewers.
We have a few examples below to help us make titles that answer questions, assist in a search, provide a description, give an idea of a date in time and, of course, highlight our art.
The Stephen Shore
The Stephen Shore technique gets straight to the point, with little riff-raff attached. In this technique, the viewer is given the date and location of the photo. Any subtext regarding the subject of the photo is left up to the viewers to figure out, post-viewing.
This technique gets its name in honor of the great Stephen Shore’s collection, “Uncommon Places.”
In our example below, the subject, place, and date are given, but all the questions that come with the image are the viewer’s to answer.
Michelle, Cape Town, 31 December 2021
The Technical Review
Why spend all that time coming up with creative titles post-photograph, when we can just dive headlong into our camera specs and answer the questions only our fellow photographers are asking?
This approach is probably not going to be the best way to title a photo for a layman’s article, but is a similar approach to how we might title an archival photograph.
Fuji GW690III. 35mm EBC Fujinon. Fuji PRo 400H.
The Photojournalist
Feeling profound? With this style of the title, we are using a short sentence to tell a story of what the image is supposed to be about. We use this to give our photographs, and the article they appear in, depth and character.
Michelle at sunset in lovely Cape Town, wishing the last of the pandemic year farewell, hopeful of what 2022 might bring.
The Poetic Titles
Give your photographs a beautifully descriptive name with deep, complex language! We are artists after all! When we are using poetic titles, we are giving our photography a deeper element, and presenting the theme or essence of the photo to our viewer.
The Maiden and the Ocean; a moment with the setting Sun.
The Pop-Culture Reference
Using references from popular culture is an easy way to provide depth to our photography. While not especially unique, using something like a song lyric or a line from a famous movie is a sure-fire way to generate context. And, given that the reference is already famous, there are no concerns over our title being misunderstood.
While not the most artistic technique, it is easy and simple and ensures a level of success. Be wary of course of any copywriting or trademarking issues that may be present, and be very careful of piggy-backing off of a trend or fad.
Creating timeless photography is far better than a flashy, popular picture that ages badly.
In the Summertime, When the weather is fine!
The Anti-Title
We all love an anti-hero! Contradiction between what is visible in the image and what is presented in the title creates a sense of movement and space for the viewer.
When we explain to the viewer what is not in the photograph, instead of what is, we allow for our viewer to peer into all the space that sits between the title of the photo and the photo itself.
We give our photo life, placing it not only in its current moment but in the moment it contradicts. The irony between what is and what does not give personality to the photo, be it positive or negative.
If our viewer does not relate to the photo they are seeing, they may well relate to the title of what the photo is not. And it is this relation that our photography is trying to give to our viewers.
This is not a European Winter.
Related:
How to take pictures of the stars with an iPhone
Conclusion
The titles we bestow upon our photographs serve as a profound means of communication with our audience, transcending the boundaries of time and space.
Within a title lies the power to encapsulate the essence of a specific place, date, and moment in time. It becomes a conduit through which ideas intertwine with the subjects depicted in our images. With a carefully chosen word, we can evoke a sense of breathtaking beauty or haunting desolation, without explicitly uttering these terms.
When we capture a photograph, we immortalize a fleeting instance from the past. Our titles breathe life into these preserved memories, lending them a vibrant voice and infusing our art with profound ideas.
Indeed, a picture possesses the ability to convey a multitude of emotions and narratives, transcending the limitations of spoken language. However, when accompanied by an effective title, the image transcends further, resonating with countless individuals and unfurling a compelling tale.
So, let us embrace the art of titling our photographs, for within this practice lies the potential to speak volumes, spark conversations, and ignite imaginations. Let our titles serve as gateways to explore the boundless stories hidden within our visual creations.