How To Write A Session Recap That Isn’t Boring

Written by: Weston

When Dakota and I’s dad lived in Maryland a few years back, we used to go to D.C. as a family often. On these trips to the nation’s capital, we would do the typical things: museums, monuments, riding the metro, but there’s one particular trip that sticks with me to this day. 

Having exhausted all the options of free things to do in the city, it was time to move onto the things that you needed to pay for. The New York Times’ Newsuem (which doesn’t exist anymore) was the first place we decided to spend our (my dad’s) money. 

The Newsuem was dedicated to the art and lifestyle of the people who told the news. They had files of archived newspapers, interview loops of anchors and journalists, but the most impactful thing to me, the thing that I still think about today, was the Pulitzer Prize Winning Photography Gallery. 

The gallery was full of some of the most influential photographs in human history. Photos of war, of victory, of buildings falling, of nature. All of the things that humans are capable of, good and bad, photographed and framed in a dark room. 

Beside some chosen photographs were captions and anecdotes from the photographer that took them. Some would explain how they got to be in that particular moment to capture that particular frame, some would describe the aftermath of their lives and their subject’s lives, some would use the space they were given to say something they felt needed to be said. 

Seeing the photographer’s words beside their photo made the photo that much important to me. 

The images are burned into my mind because I know what someone went through to take it, what it meant to them, and what it meant to the people in the photo. 

This is what the caption for a photo can do.

While you aren’t crawling through warzones or running towards burning buildings, there is still power in your photography. You are capturing memories and moments that will last forever, and through the internet, you have been given an opportunity to showcase your thoughts and your client’s journey to the world. 

Now, let’s talk about how to not be boring. 

Social media has changed the way we think about a caption. Most people aren’t thinking about the words beside a Pulitzer Prize Photograph or a blurb under a piece of art, they are looking for something quick and quirky to say.

(Sometimes they avoid using words at all and just opt for emojis 🎉✨📚✏️) 

This can work for a personal account because the focus can be just sharing an image, but if you are operating a personality-driven business then there is huge possibility in the space below your photo. 

First things first, do everything you can to avoid your market cliches. 

Don’t use the space below to tell us what we already see. 

“It was a beautiful day full of love.”

“Mark and Courtney looked at each other in such a special way.” 

“Her dress was white, and she looked like a princess bride.”

Nothing that is being said is adding to what we can’t already see. It doesn’t spark the imagination or hit some new spot on the brain or heart; it is just going to town on simple, cliched elements, tap-dancing one spot to mush.

You lose your audience here because they guess where you’re going to go and leave.

Do use the space below your image to share things about the day, your clients, or yourself that the photos aren’t communicating.

“Mark and Courtney really believed in my vision for this photo and walked across uneven rocks, so I could get the texture of the smooth sky and the jagged horizon. (Plus, it was an excuse for Mark to hold his bride-to-be even closer.)”

“Mark and Courtney were one of my favorite couples to work with. They were fun, they were flirty, and they were up for anything.”

“When Courtney walked into the room and her dad saw her for the first time, he didn’t say a word – just the silence of him holding his breath, trying to make time slow down because it had all flown by so fast up until this moment. His little girl wasn’t so little anymore.”

Next, drop us into the middle of the story. 

I see so many people dedicating space to explaining either why they’re talking, what they’re talking about, or why it’s important. Saying those things don’t do what they want, in fact, it does the opposite. 

People can pick up on the lack of confidence, or simply get bored of the explanation, and check out. 

When you spend so much time qualifying your statement, your audience has shrunken down to only a few people by the time you get to what you actually wanted to say. 

(If you noticed, this blog lacks any qualifier. I drop you right into a story about my family’s trip to D.C. that had a loose connection to the main point. The personal anecdote was the hook.) 

You never have more eyes on you than in the beginning, so start immediately. 

(Writing and Literature Lesson of the Day: the act of dropping into the story right away is called En Media Res, which is latin for “in the middle of the action.” Every good short story you will read drops you into a moment that is already happening. In The Tell-Tale Heart by Poe, the main character has already gone mad from the first sentence. It captures your reader’s attention immediately, hook, line, and sinker.) 

Starting where the story begins is a practiced skill. Qualifying and setting the scene are all done to build up confidence to say the main thing, so when you are writing, allow yourself that space. 

Once everything is on the page, get rid of everything before the main point; it served its purpose. 

In the beginning, you will be editing a lot, leaving lots on the cutting room floor, but eventually, you will train yourself to begin closer to the true start and less will have to be trimmed, but it’s all a growth process, and there’s one thing to remember overall, nothing you write is wasted writing. It’s all for the purpose of getting somewhere. 

Time to practice…

Think about what you enjoyed about a particular session: a special moment you had with them, a special moment they had together, a particular photo you love, or a stunning backdrop.

Start there, flesh that out, and you may have an engaging recap on your hands. It’s easier than you think. 

If it helps to do it right after the shoot or the wedding day, make a voice memo when you get back to your car. Jot a few notes down before you ever leave so you can remember the specifics. 

If it was relatively uneventful (we pray for simple, easy-going clients), you can use this as a chance to educate. What about it made it easy? What did they do that you would recommend to future clients? It can be simple. We all like reminders of the basics. 

It’s like remembering to pack everything in the car but leaving your keys inside.

This is going to take practice. We recommend starting small with captions on Instagram.

When you’re ready to level up, you can take your talents to blog recaps. This is where the magic really sets in because your words will really matter in Google searches and couples love to read stories about themselves. 

If you need help making the step to blogging, we’re really excited to be taking on blogging clients – both for topical blogging (done-for-you) and portfolio style blogging (image prep and writing coaching). 

You can find more about both here.