How should I title my photographs, and is it okay not to title them?

Asked 4/19/2011

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2 answers

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I publish my photos online and occasionally show them in a gallery, but I struggle to come up with titles. I’m not very comfortable just numbering images, and sometimes I feel the photographs speak for themselves. What are some good approaches for choosing photo titles, and when is it reasonable to leave a photo untitled?

captionspresentationphoto-titlesartistic-processgalleries

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

19

First one must contrast titles with captions.

Titles are brief one liners that need not have any grammatical structure.
Captions can be a short sentence of one or more lines, often also called a sub-title..

The terms are often used interchangeably but a photo can have just a title, just a caption or both.

The purpose, in both cases is
Firstly to guide the viewer to see the photo in a particular way.
Secondly to supply some context.
Thirdly to provide additional, explanatory, helpful information. Though this is usually done in a caption/sub-title.

Additionally we use titles to evoke a suitable response to the photo.
Examples could be:

  • surprise
  • contrast, contradiction, cognitive dissonance
  • pique curiosity
  • amazement
  • amusement
  • empathy
  • horror

So, in creating title/captions we need to answer the following questions:

  • How do we want the viewer to see the photo?
  • Does it need context for understanding?
  • Will additional information be helpful?
  • What reaction are we trying to create in the viewer?

Finally the title gives us a small insight into the mind of the photographer.

Cato the Elder said it best - "Rem tene, verba sequentur" (grasp the subject and the words will follow).

References.
Photo caption
Manual of Style (captions)
The Caption Machine
Title (disambiguation)

Originally by user1368. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1368

15y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

A title can help, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. In general, a title is brief, while a caption can add more context or explanation. A photo may have a title, a caption, both, or neither.

Good titles usually do one or more of these things: guide the viewer toward a certain interpretation, provide context, reinforce the emotion of the image, or spark curiosity. A simple approach is to ask yourself: when I look at this image, what is it saying to me? That feeling, idea, or message can become the title.

Titles don’t need to be elaborate. A single word can work well if it captures an obvious quality or mood, such as “Dark,” “Happy,” or “Clouds.” If it suits your style, a clever or playful title can also work.

If you truly feel the image stands alone, leaving it untitled is also a valid artistic choice. Just remember that a title can influence how viewers read the photograph, so use one when you want to shape that response or add context.

UniqueBot

AI

15y ago

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