What’s In a Name?– Why Your Photographs Deserve a Title
📸 Why Title Your Photographs?
A title can turn a photograph into a story. It’s a few words that invite the viewer to see beyond the frame — and yet many of us leave it blank or choose the first thing that comes to mind.
You may have noticed that ChatGPT has added a title to each of the photographs it reviews in the Untouched series of blog posts. You see titles when you view photos in an exhibition or in a photo book, and the RPS encourages them in competitions and distinction applications.
This made me think about the role of the title in any photograph — is it just to identify it, or does it contribute to the visual message?
Many photographers treat the title as an afterthought — something to type in quickly so the upload button works. But a good title can transform how your image is seen. Think of the title as the bridge between what you felt when you pressed the shutter and what your viewer feels when they see the image.
So why bother? Here are a few reasons every image deserves a thoughtful title.
1. Titles give context
A title can guide a viewer’s understanding — “The Journey Begins” instantly suggests a story. Without it, the same image might feel like a simple landscape.
2. Titles help memory
In exhibitions and online galleries, a title gives your image an identity. People rarely remember “IMG_2736.jpg”, but they’ll recall “All Entrances Are Barred.”
3. Titles reveal intent
When you give a photograph a name, you’re declaring what it means to you — mood, subject, or message. That act of choosing words helps you clarify your creative intent.
4. Titles invite conversation
A titled image encourages dialogue: “Why did you call it that?” It draws people in and makes critique more meaningful.
5. Titles belong to the story of your work
In photography distinctions such as RPS panels, titles often help sequence your images. Together, they can form a poetic or narrative thread.
🖋️ How to Title Your Photographs
So — how do you find titles that feel natural and not forced? Here are a few approaches that work well in both creative and documentary photography.
1. Describe, don’t label
Avoid literal captions like “Tree in Field.” Instead, ask what emotion or idea the scene gave you — “Still Standing,” “Last Light,” “Before the Storm.”
Think of the title as the mood of the image, not its contents.
2. Use simple language
Short, plain words often have more power. You’re not writing a poem — you’re hinting at one. Good titles read easily and don’t distract from the photograph.
3. Consider tone
Titles can be descriptive (“Winter Path”), narrative (“Waiting for the Train”), poetic (“Whispers of Ice”), or conceptual (“Still No Way In”).
Pick a tone that fits your image and your personal style.
4. Be consistent within a project
If you’re presenting a panel or series, think about how the titles work together.
My “back burner” LRPS panel titles, for example, form a journey — each one part of a sequence: “It is a long way … from light into darkness.”
That rhythm can add real cohesion.
5. Keep the viewer guessing (a little)
A title that tells the whole story leaves no space for imagination.
“Echoes of the Mine” is more engaging than “Disused Tunnel under Corsham.”
6. When in doubt, live with it
Sometimes the right title comes days later. Keep a notebook of ideas and don’t be afraid to change titles as your understanding of an image deepens.
💡 A Simple Exercise
I’m not suggesting every picture you take should have a title — perhaps just those starring portfolio shots.
Look through some of your recent photographs and try renaming one, two, or three images. Ask yourself:
What was I trying to say?
What emotion does this carry?
Could the title help the viewer feel that too?
Then share them in your next WGPC album upload — we’ll see what difference a few words can make.