Tamil Caption Style Guide

Practical Caption Conventions for Tamil and English Text

Many of our photographs sit between two languages, so a few shared conventions keep the gallery consistent. Where a caption includes Tamil script, write it in standard Unicode Tamil rather than older font-based encodings, which can display as broken characters on phones and newer browsers. If you add an English transliteration, keep the spelling readers already recognise. For film titles and well-known names, use the form the public already knows, even if a stricter transliteration would look different.

Names, titles and credits

• People: Give the name a person is publicly known by on first mention. Do not guess at identities. If you are unsure who is in a frame, describe the moment instead.
• Film titles: Italicise English-script film titles, for example title of the film. Add the release year only when you can confirm it.
• Photographer credit: End the caption with the contributor's credit in the same format each time. That way credits stay easy to find across an album.

Structure that works for stills and events

A reliable pattern runs from who, to what, to where. Start with the subject, then the action or occasion, then the place. Chennai venues should be named plainly, without abbreviations that readers outside the city might not know. For event albums, the first image's caption can carry the full context. Later images can then be shorter and focus on what is distinctive in each frame.

Cinema stills need extra care. Avoid describing plot points that could spoil a film, and never present a promotional still as a behind-the-scenes moment unless you know it is one.

Length, tone and respect

Aim for one or two sentences. Mosaic grids show captions in small spaces, and long text gets cut off. Keep the tone warm but factual. Avoid labels about appearance, gossip, or claims about people's private lives. At religious festivals and family functions, describe rituals respectfully and use the correct names for the occasions.

Before you submit, read the caption aloud and check every name and date. Then ask whether a reader who has never visited Chennai would understand it. If you have questions about a specific album, the contributors page explains how to get in touch with the team.