How much does the caption add to the photo

blakejd

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So I've been looking at some old scans of my time in Iraq and although they in most respects are simply snapshots they each show something about the struggles and culture of the military at war. So I was wondering how much does knowing what your really seeing vs just looking for focus, compositon etc add to the photo. Posted a few with captions below.

1.
sandstorm.jpg

Marines struggle through impossible sandstorm on the invasion front.
2.
cricket.jpg

Marines battle boredom with a little desert cricket before the invasion.
3.
boom.jpg

Ammo trucks destroyed on the road to Baghdad.
4.
TheBoob.jpg

Short on supplies Marines substitute socks for coffee filters.

Just wondering and appreciate the imput. I have yet to do any post processing so I'm sure cropping etc can improve things a bit.
 
I should clarify that I'm asking from more of a photo journalistic view.
 
I feel it adds to it greatly,i get to see through the photogs eyes/mind.....
 
Well...
It is more like a description of what is happening instead of a caption.
but yeah works well as a description, doesn't add any more value in honesty, Just makes it clearer as to what your viewing.
 
"Marines battle boredom with a little desert cricket before the invasion"

"Cricket before the invasion"

Keep them as short as you can if they're for the press. Some I couldn't shorten. When I do captions for exhibits I'll make longer ones. People aren't drinking coffee and hurrying to work. I had two photos of Muxe and since most don't know what Muxe are I had a fairly long caption at the exhibit to explain.

I hate captions that are about the "artist" and his "vision". I hate captions that say, "Rocks in the ocean." Duh!
 
"Marines battle boredom with a little desert cricket before the invasion"

"Cricket before the invasion"

Keep them as short as you can if they're for the press. Some I couldn't shorten. When I do captions for exhibits I'll make longer ones. People aren't drinking coffee and hurrying to work. I had two photos of Muxe and since most don't know what Muxe are I had a fairly long caption at the exhibit to explain.

I hate captions that are about the "artist" and his "vision". I hate captions that say, "Rocks in the ocean." Duh!
Great advice. I hadn't really thought about that.
To answer the above question at this time there is no article or book in the works but looking back through the photos they prompted the question in my head. I've often thought of putting time into similar photos depicting friends hunkered down in a blizzard on a climbing attempt no so much because the pictures are perfect but because they completely capture the feeling of misery at the moment.
 

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