How To Caption Your Photographs On Facebook
There are many aspects of our photo books that set them apart from others, but one of the most important is the fact they are forged straight from your social media pages. Whether it’s Facebook or Instagram, the process is fast, simple and efficient.
All you have to do is choose the photographs you want and they will be formed into a beautiful, glossy book which not only include your favourite memories but the captions, statuses, likes and comments that go alongside them too.
If you are a photographer who is building their very own Facebook portfolio of memories, then it is worth remembering this for when you create a Facebook memory book. Of course, your photographs might very well be creative enough to tell their own story, but in order to engage your friends and provide context to your photo book, it is important to caption them with just as much creativity.
But How Do You Do This When You Are Not A Writer?
Well, it’s actually very simple. You don’t have to be an expert wordsmith to come up with a Facebook caption. All you have to do is balance out the beauty of your photographs with something catchy, informative, and good enough to sit side by side and reflect the stories you are telling. For those unsure, here are a few tips to help you get it right:
Take The Reader’s Patience Into Account
Facebook and Instagram are primarily utilised for sharing pictures and creating albums, so it is important to take this into account when coming up with your caption. Remember, alternate social media platforms have different character count limitations.
Facebook, for instance, will allow as much as 63,206 characters for a single, regular post. Out of those 63,206 characters, however, you will only need around 125 of those to create an engaging Facebook caption.
Short And Sweet Captions Are Key
Short and sweet captions are the best to give the reader a little bit of context in a fun, snappy way. When considering your Facebook photo book, this will become even more crucial. When people pick up a photo book created from a Facebook portfolio, they won’t be expecting to sit through a variety of weighty captions which explain every detail.
Instead, just like any Facebook or Instagram user, they will want to simply take in the photographs and read a quick accompaniment to give it context. For good or for ill, social media has had a hand in lessening the average person’s attention span, so try to form your captions to satisfy this.
Mirror The Story And Create An Impact
Before you begin writing your caption, take another look at your photograph and try to rediscover what draws you to it. What is the tone, the atmosphere, the story? You need to know all of these for certain, because the caption should match every single one of their traits.
If your photograph is not funny, then don’t try to caption it with something humorous. Instead, try to capture the feeling of the story and mirror it in the caption itself. This will also help when you come to create the story behind your photo book. Present tense can also help in relaying this story, as it will give the reader an illusion of immediacy which will keep them engaged and create more of an impact.
Someone Else’s Words Could Work Better
If you are staring at your phone, fishing for some kind of interesting, catchy caption, then you shouldn’t be too worried if nothing bites. Although it may seem like a cliché, captioning your photographs with a quote or some lyrics can actually inform them and put the images in a light even you had not anticipated.
It’s important to not just go for whatever you find first, however. You need to take the time and find a caption that reads beautifully, says a lot in a short amount of time, and also adds a new edge to your photograph. Do a bit of digging and go for something that inspires you.
The Caption Should Add An Extra Layer
Lastly, it is important to remember the world beneath the surface. One of the mistakes many people make when captioning their photographs is the tendency to simply describe what is going on. This is a complete waste of a caption. The viewer will easily see what is happening in the photograph by looking at the photograph. Instead, your caption should add an extra layer that only exists in the subtext of the photograph itself.
If you have captured a picture of some birds flying in the sky, try to give less of a description of the facts and more of a sense of freedom, liberation and beauty. This can elevate your Facebook posts as well as make for a far more engaging, beautiful photo book that will sit proudly upon your shelf.
