January 17, 2013

Add Descriptive Captions for Images and Photos in Blogger




Don't you just love staring at beautiful images or photos? :) I do and hope we all do. Usually we use images in our posts or articles. Don't we? Using relevant and meaningful images add more value to your content, and mostly it grabs attention of readers and helps understand something very easily and quickly than explaining something with 100s or 1000s of words. Hmm... Just imaging you gonna add an image to your post while writing a blog post and of course you know why you are adding it there. But for readers, not all but for some, they might be surprised what your image trying to express. Haven't you come accross such situations?


Let's Be Real


Yeah... Let's go for a real-life example. Let's say I have been writing about my blog ~ Mayura4Ever. Now, can you say what is the below image? It's just an image representing something.


Most of you would recognize it rightaway as you are on my blog. But the readers who haven't been to this blog might not recognize above image at first sight. It has the letter "M" and blue + green colors in the background. Does it makes sense? I can mention about it in my post and refer to this image there too. Well, how about now?

Mayura4Ever Logo


Image Caption


Now anyone read the image caption (Small text below the image) can understand the image by looking at the image caption. Isn't it? Do you think it matters at all? I know... You don't wanna add image captions everytime for every image. But think about when presenting an image in your post or article. The image you add may worth more than 1000 words but basically if someone can't identify what's it about in first place, you are confusing some of your readers. However it depends. Some users might have hard time identifying the image you have added unless they have no idea what it is or if you haven't give them any clue about it. Remember, user experience matters :) It's just not about writing your heart out.

You might ask "WHY?" again. The image caption is just to elaborate the image. Unlike the alternative text, it has no SEO value in it. It provides the value for your readers and make your post or article much more user friendly. Anyway it depends on you. Depends on whether you write for search engines or real human beings. I'd say write for readers and if you do, consider adding image captions where necessary.

Image caption is not only about just describing what's there, but also you can add additional information if you need to, if that matters while reading your post or article. Just take a look at the image on this page ~ Apollo 13 at Mission Control, and read the description there. Even such a long description is possible as the image caption if it's relevant there.


I Just Did It


As you just witnessed an image caption on Blogger, you might wanna know how is it possible too. It's quite simple and easily accessible via image options. I'm gonna refer steps to follow in Blogger blogs, but even if you have a non-Blogger blog or writing for someone else, think about the simple idea behind it. Not everyone knows what your image is about. Make things simpler and they would appreciate you for adding an image caption. Got it? Now let's take a look at how you can add an image caption for images in Blogger.


Steps:

1. First off, you need to have the image added to your post or page.

2. Click on the specific image in Post Editor which you wanna add image caption.

3. Now you will see image options panel beneath the image and click Add caption there.


4. Now you will see a default caption highlighted beneath the image.


5. You just have to erase default image caption and enter your desired image caption for the image.

Twitter Rocket


Enjoy :-)




Awesome! Thanks for coming by and taking your time to read this post :) I hope you have learnt something today. Now you can share it with your friends and I'd love to hear from you too.






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Comments

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Harleena Singh said...

Oh yes Mayura!

It's almost like a picture can speak a 1000 words, but we do name to have a caption for them - just as you mentioned. I like the creative logo you have made for your blog, because it strikes at once when you see it - the blue and green adding to it all.

I think describing an image makes it easier for anyone and everyone to understand what you are trying to portray or say - just as in the rocket picture above. :)

Thanks for sharing this one with us. :)

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Harleena,


I've been reading an article about vehicles few months back and there I had no idea about some images though they have mentioned about it in the article dear :) Then I was thinking about this option at Blogger and that's how the post had initiated as I never written about this feature.


I know sometimes when we writing, as we know about it, we might miss it but if we make it as a habit then it wouldn't matter, right Harleena? :) I know you have all knowledge there as a freelance writer :)


Ah... I just wanna show that picture as most of us not familiar with such photo and get confuse when identifying folks there. May be it will help readers understand what I've been mentioning :)


Thanks for coming by and adding more value through your comment dear :)


Cheers...

Shorya Bist said...

Hi Mayura,

Interesting and something that i never thought.Your explanation with your blog logo make me realized that caption is very good in terms of readers comfort.

You said it right sometime a single caption can save your reader to be in confusion "what exactly is this" But when you put an image to explain it with a caption that make your content more understandable.And it helps a reader to understand more easily and another thing which i got is it looks great and professional also.

Thank You
Shorya Bist
From Youthofest

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Shorya,


You are very true there mate :) I know sometimes it's not necessary, but when it's a something related to content and readers should get to know about, then captions gonna help them out, no? Absolutely, it adds a professional look there.


I've been through that myself few times and no caption images made me confuse there. Sometimes it could be an important image, but if we don't know what it is, then we might ignore and take rest of the article or post. So I just wanna help with how to in Blogger blogging platform Shorya :)


Thanks for coming over and sharing your thoughtful comment here mate :)


Cheers...

Neamat Tawadrous said...

Hi Mayura,

Great Post Mayura,

Indeed the caption is very important to explain what the image is about and sometimes just reading the caption and seeing the image gives the reader an idea about what the whole content is all about. It does save the reader lots of confusion than if there is no caption

Thanks for the reminder Mayura, a picture does indeed speak a thousand words.



Be Blessed,


Neamat

Brenda Lee said...

Great post Mayura and very helpful tips! I made to sure to share the love! :)

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Neamat,

Absolutely dear :) You have gone through such posts or articles too? Hmm... As we are bloggers, I think caption is something we have to think about. CONFUSION! Yeah, that's what I've been through :) If we think from the reader perspectives, we could do better when it comes to user experience, no? :)

Thanks for coming by and adding your thoughts on image captions dear :)

Cheers...

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Brenda,


Captions can save the readers from confusion, no dear? :) Not everywhere but where necessary.


Thanks for stopping by, and sending your thoughts and love by sharing dear :)


Cheers...

Akos Fintor said...

Great tip as usual, Mayura! thnx for the share! - Akos

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Akos,


You're welcome and glad to hear you find it helpful mate :)


Thanks for coming by and leaving your comment here :)


Cheers...

Corina Ramos said...

Hello Mayura,

Well explained my friend. Thanks for sharing this suggestion with us. It certainly is something to think about adding to my images, especially how you mentioned we can use that to share more information.


Have a wonderful weekend :)

Sapna said...

HI Mayura

Again a great post!

At times I really overlook this, believing the reader can himself make it out, but from the reader's perspective that can lead to confusion as well.Will take care of this from now onwards.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

Sapna

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Corina,



Isn't it obvious that we need captions on some images to help reader to understand what's it about dear? :) I hope you will use captions where necessary as for ones stopping by on your blog first time might be confused, if you haven't. Anyway we don't need captions for every image though :)

Thanks for coming by and adding your thoughts on image captions Corina :)


Have a wonderful weekend too dear :)


Cheers...

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Sapna,


You know, sometimes we need to be a reader with such a confusion to take the idea out of it :) I've read such posts and article, and it got me thinking dear.


Now you know the idea behind it and I hope you will take care of it not to make readers confuse for a second Sapna :)


Thanks for coming and sharing your thought about using captions dear :)


Cheers...

Jess Brown said...

Hi Mayura,


What a great post and another awesome tutorial from you!



This is an important subject and one that is often overlooked. I've been guilty of not putting a caption on my pictures in the past. I never really thought of what it would be like for the reader. The pictures will be a lot more meaningful with a simple caption and less confusing for the reader.


Lately I've been using a different approach with my images. I take my images and put them into picmonkey and add text to them. I do this so if someone pins them to Pinterest the pictures will be more enticing and clickable. What do you think?


Captions are great for the blog and as you said, human beings like them, but adding the text to the picture can be helpful too! :)


Thanks so much for the great information and helping me see this a different way!


Hope you are having a great weekend, Mayura!


Jess

Donna Merrill said...

Hi Mayura,
That clears a question in my mind! I use alt text and "heard" not to use a caption. It never made any sense to me. Because Google changed some rules months back, I've been using my own original pictures.

One day I was looking up something and there was one of my own images on Google! Now that I've read this post, I strongly feel that I will put my caption under my image.
Once again, a great learning curve!
Donna Merrill

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Jess,

Absolutely dear :) I know, sometimes if there's nothing much to point out, then caption wouldn't be needed. But as you mentioned, even a simple caption can prevent readers from confusions. It wouldn't hurt, right? :)

PicMonkey... That's a great idea too dear :) When someone pins your images, obviously captions has no room there. As far as the text adding more value to images instead of spoiling it, no problemo ;) However I haven't notice wrong with your images I see either on your blog or Facebook page. Anyway some people just add text to promote and kill the meaning behind the image.

We blog for real human beings, right Jess? :) So I believe no matter what, the user experience matters and that's something keep people coming to your place. Obviously, you can either use captions below or add text to your image without hurting it. It's choice :)

Thanks for coming by and sharing your thoughts and experience you had with images dear :) Ha ha... We always need to think differently for more good ;)


You have a great weekend there too Jess :)


Cheers...

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Donna,


You are correct dear :) Alt text matters, but it's only for search engines and that's why you have seen your own image on Google search results. You have been doing better with it :) However alt text has no use for your readers as they don't see what's there.


We need search engines to bring more targeted traffic, but the priority always for your readers, no Donna? :) It's strange why someone says don't use captions though. It doesn't matter whoever says, but we can think why or why not, right? :) Obviously it's not essential for every image, but there are situations that really matters.


I hope you will use captions where necessary and impress your readers instead of giving 'em a confusion dear :) I know you won't.


Thanks for coming over and adding your thoughts on image captions Donna :)


Cheers...

Amy Hagerup said...

Hi Mayura, I am new here. Glad to find you. I used to use captions quite a bit but then they started making my blog not format right for some reason. So I stopped using them. But I think I will try again based on your advice. Thanks, Amy

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Amy,

Welcome to my online home place dear :)

Oops... Formatting issues? As you are using WordPress, I think there are different plugins you can use for that matter. Well, if it's mess with formatting, then I don't think it's a good idea to have captions that way though. If you can find a plugin which does job well for you, you are ready to go, right? :)

Thanks for coming by and sharing your views and experience had with captions dear :)



Cheers...

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Rhodora,

Of course, people search for images via search engines and using relevant alt tags and captions can be very helpful indeed to get more organic traffic for your blog :)

I hope you will optimize your old images and hopefully get more traffic for your blog after all :) Captions ~ Keep it in mind too.

Thanks for coming by and sharing your thoughts on using image attributes and experiences dear :)


Cheers...

Mayura De Silva said...

Hi Hennie,

Yeah, they do in web search :) Alternative text directly serves search engines, but captions are even visible to readers too. It's a win-win.