Here’s how to write perfect captions
“One could tell their whole life story through photos alone.” The writer Annie Ernaux beautifully summed up the charm of life photography. It’s about telling a story, retracing the key moments of a life. And also about not forgetting the simpler moments, which make life so beautiful. Always keep this in mind when creating your photo album: your goal is to tell a life story through images. And to enhance the emotional power of these images, nothing beats well-chosen captions. Here are our tips for writing perfect captions in your photo album:
A short preface
First of all, if you see your photo album as a work that tells a story, it deserves a preface worthy of the name. You don’t need to venture into complicated prose, but a few lines will help set the scene. Summarise in 2 or 3 sentences the theme of the album, letting your emotions shine through. A thematic quote can also have a beautiful effect. Here are some examples to inspire you:
- Baby photo album: “Welcome to our little sunshine, Alexis. Born on a beautiful winter day, Thursday 17 December 2020.”
- Wedding photo album: “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Paul and Julie, 26 June 2021.”
- Travel photo album: “Our first trip to South America: the most beautiful family adventure. July 2019.”
The descriptive caption
Now let’s move on to the captions that will accompany the photographs. First, we have the purely descriptive caption. It provides the basic information about the photo: date, place, and subject. This is typically the kind of caption our elders would write on the back of their printed photos. You’ll also find them under photos with a white border (like vintage prints or polaroids).
A descriptive caption has the advantage of summarising the key details you might forget over time. For example, noting the names of guests in wedding photos helps you remember them better (especially if you lose touch over the years). Similarly, in a travel photo book, writing down the names of places and the dates makes it easier to recall the trip.
Some quotes from the people photographed
Next, you can write much more personal captions to illustrate the photos in your album. The best option is to note down quotes from the people being photographed. It’s a wonderful way to convey their personality and emotions.
Let’s take the example of a wedding photo album. The best captions for photos of the vow exchange are often the vows themselves. “Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favourite,” “I promise to love you forever and always,” etc. Each time you flip through your album, the emotions are sure to be as strong as they were on the big day.
Similarly, during a family gathering, every family member probably says things that capture them perfectly. So write them next to their photos. A funny remark from your little cousin, grandma’s favourite expression, your uncle’s reaction when he opens his quirky Christmas gift, etc. Capture the very essence of your loved ones, both through their portraits and their words. Your family photo album will be all the more authentic for it.
Themed quotes
If you don’t have any memorable words from the people photographed, or simply want to add more variety to your captions, another idea is to use themed quotes. These can be phrases or proverbs that perfectly illustrate a specific photo or fit well with the spirit of the album as a whole. Let’s revisit some of the examples mentioned earlier:
- Birth: “Nine months to create you, a lifetime to love you,” “A baby lengthens the days, shortens the nights, and multiplies happiness.”
- Travel: “To stay is to exist. To travel is to live,” “Travel is the best way to get lost and find yourself again.”
- Family: “Family is where life begins and love never ends,” “Happiness is a family affair.”
If you want to gather all your photos on the same theme, discover our range of “milestone” photo books and albums. From weddings to births, and from travel to family reunions, they’re perfect for all your happiest occasions.
Snippets of life and emotion
To finish, we invite you to let your inspiration run free. If you have the soul of a writer, don’t hesitate to write more poetic captions to tell your story through photos. From just a few words to several lines, put your emotions on paper in your traditional photo album.
And if you’re not particularly comfortable with words, simply write down the emotions each photo inspires in you. Happiness, simplicity, escape, calm… There’s no need to make it complicated to bring your album to life and fill it with emotion!
