Writing Image Captions

Captions MUST ALWAYS include the source of the image and a description for both Featured Images and In-body Images. The format for credit is as follows: Description. Image: Source name.

A good image caption for your feature image contains the person/event in the picture and a general description of what they are doing in the photo, to allow for the picture to be reused with context.
Example: Rosko Specman of the Bulls scores a try during the 2019 Super Rugby season. Image: Photographer name
If you are going to change the caption, make sure that it does not change the context from where the image might have been used before. If you want to add specific context to your image, you can re-upload it.
Watch out for additional rogue text with instructions from AFP or other random text that gets added on through the metadata.
If you are using a stock image of a fruit bowl on a table, it can be difficult to find or write a description, but in this case, we advise using your blurb/excerpt as a starting point and changing it from there to be used as a description for the caption – not copying and pasting it as is. Thereafter, the same structure should follow the Image: photographer name/source or simply the source if there is no photographer name.

Captioning images sourced from social media needs to follow this formula:

[Image description]. Photo: [account holder] / [social media platform] /

For example: “President Cyril Ramaphosa attends ANC rally in Soweto. Image: @MYANC / Twitter”
This applies to Featured Images, as well as, Images used in the body.

Image Caption examples

President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the ANC 2021 Local Government Elections thank you event on 8 November 2021 in Soweto, South Africa. The purpose of the event was to thank members of staff, volunteers and communities in all forms, for going out and exercising their democratic rights by participating in the 2021 Local Government Elections. Image: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images

Please note that some captions already there for you on Gallo or AFP, are not the be-all and end-all. You will need to change things here and there according to our style. For instance, if their date is set out as November 08 2021, you need to change it to 8 November 2021.
Below is the original Gallo caption so that you may compare:

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA NOVEMBER 08: The African National Congress (ANC), President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the organisation 2021 Local Government Elections Thank You Event on November 08, 2021 in Soweto, South Africa. The purpose of the event was to thank members of staff, volunteers, and communities in all forms for going out and exercising their democratic rights by participating in the 2021 Local Government Elections. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo)

A 34-year-old man, who allegedly used a saw to decapitate his adoptive mother before setting her on fire, has been arrested. Image: Adobe Stock

(Above, you can see how a blurb/excerpt was used as a starting point to develop a caption description for a stock photo)

Springboks Captain, Siya Kolisi, during the South African national men’s rugby training session at Peffermill Playing Fields on 8 November 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Image: Steve Haag / Gallo Images

Below is the original Gallo caption. Compare it to the one above to see what changes were made.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 08: Siya Kolisi (captain) of South Africa during the South African national men’s rugby training session at Peffermill Playing Fields on November 08, 2021, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)
Images must also be named according to the title/subject or image content. Use a hyphen (-) and not space eg. nelson-mandela-funeral.jpg

If in doubt, always make sure that you credit any image you use as this is best practice. You can also speak to your team leader for guidance but never leave an image uncredited because you are unsure whether you should credit it or not, or you are under time constraints to get an article published and neglect to research who the owner is. There are search engines and software that track illegal use of images which can result in a letter of demand and ultimately legal action. Unlawful use of images can also result in being reported to Google which can hurt the offender’s website.