ALL ABOUT KEYWORDING
02. Image Captions

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Every image should have a good image caption. An image caption is a short description explaining the photo's subject and the location, and what is happening in the picture. Image captions are essential in geography, nature, botany, zoology, research, industry, medicine, science, etc. Even images that might seem self-explanatory, such as lifestyles or business situations, should be submitted with a clear and descriptive caption to help customers quickly understand what is shown in those images.

The image caption must contain all of the relevant or essential information in all kinds of images. The information should be clear, precise, and factual. Use proper punctuation and logical order to avoid a mass of confusing information. Be as concise as possible so that the client can find important information very quickly. Good captions are those that identify the subject of the picture and provide context for it.

Location information

All images should include information about the location where they were taken. Location information may help the customers, even if the place is not the main focus of the image. Such information may be omitted in studio shots, abstract imagery, etc.

Besides following these general principles, each image category demands some specific information.

  • LIFESTYLES:
    Ask yourself who are the people appearing in your images, what they are doing, their mood, which role they are playing, how they relate to each other, and the setting… All these questions will help you to create good descriptive captions for your lifestyle images.
  • TRAVEL / LANDSCAPES / WORLD LOCATIONS:
    Location information becomes particularly important in these images. Include the name of the city, state or province, and country. Also include the names of the buildings, landmarks, and monuments depicted. Information about architectural styles, construction dates, or local history related to the pictured locations may also be useful.
  • NATURE / WILDLIFE:
    If you specialize in photos of plants, insects, animals, even in macro or microphotography, you must provide the common and scientific names of the plants/animals. Unidentified animals and plants are virtually useless. Besides Genus and Species, additional information about order and family may also be useful. If animals are portrayed in captivity, this information must also be supplied together with a specific place (zoo, nature reserve, etc.) where the image was taken. In photomicrography, information about the technique used is always welcome.
  • SCIENCE / INDUSTRY:
    Add accurate information about the processes and activities depicted, the facilities in which they are taking place, the items portrayed, etc. The more specific your data is, the better.
  • FOOD:
    In addition to the dish's name, you may include the cooking technique, main ingredients, country of origin (e.g. French cuisine), etc.
  • FINE ART:
    Please include all available information that helps to identify the artwork: name, artist, technique, date or period, style, etc. An unidentified painting or sculpture with a caption that only reads "Museum" or "Painting" is useless.

Caption language

All captions must be supplied in English. Buildings or landmarks with common non-English names (e.g. "Gamla Stan," "Grote Markt") are recommended to be captioned in both English and non-English names ( e.g. "Gamla Stan (Old town)," "Grote Markt (Grand Place)").

If you are using a translator to translate descriptions from your native language into English, make sure that you are not translating untranslatable names of people or places and rendering them unidentifiable (e.g. avoid translating proper names like "José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero", former Spanish prime minister, into "José Luis Rodríguez Shoemaker").

Finally, please be sure that your information is accurate. Use reliable sources, and if in doubt, it is better to give less information than provide information that might be incorrect. A cathedral from the 12th century cannot be baroque, nor is an Iranian the same as an Arab or Sardinia part of France. If you're not sure about your facts, it is better that you don't include them. Or better still, make sure you verify in Wikipedia that what you say is correct. Understandably, clients don't like to buy photos that are labeled with misleading or false information. This principle also applies to the keywording information that you add.

If you have any doubts, or need further information, please contact
photodepartment@agefotostock.com.

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