Alt-Text: How Photographers Can Make Images More Accessible
Photographers pour their hearts into capturing and sharing meaningful images with the world. We can meticulously adjust our aperture, perfect our composition, and spend hours in post-processing to ensure our vision comes to life. But there's one critical step many photographers overlook when publishing their work online: adding proper alternative text, or "alt-text," to their images.
This often-neglected element can make the difference between your photography being accessible to everyone or excluding a significant portion of your potential audience. In this guide, we'll explore what alt-text is, why it matters specifically for photographers, and how you can implement it efficiently across your online portfolio or website.
What Is Alt-Text?
Alt-text (alternative text) is a written description of an image that appears in HTML code (the programming language used to create websites). When images cannot be displayed or seen, this text serves as an alternative that conveys the essential information and context of the image. You don't need to know how to code to add alt-text as most website platforms provide simple fields where you can enter this information.
This simple attribute in your website's code might seem insignificant, but it's a powerful tool for inclusivity and communication.
Why Alt-Text Matters for Photographers
As visual artists, we might initially think that describing our images in words defeats the purpose of our craft. However, there are compelling reasons why alt-text should be part of every photographer's workflow:
1. Accessibility for Visually Impaired Users
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2021, at least 2.2 billion people globally have a near or distance vision impairment.
People with vision impairment may use screen readers that convert text into synthesized speech or braille output. When screen readers encounter an image without alt-text, they might skip it entirely or simply say "image" – leaving the user completely in the dark about your carefully crafted photograph.
For a photographer, this means potentially excluding millions of people from experiencing your art. While they may not see your image in the same way, well-crafted alt-text can still evoke emotion and convey your artistic vision.
2. SEO Benefits
Search engines can't "see" images the way humans do. They rely on alt-text to understand and index your images properly. For photographers trying to build an online presence, this SEO boost can be significant:
Higher visibility in image search results
Improved overall site ranking
Better contextual understanding of your content by search algorithms
3. Backup When Images Fail to Load
Even for users with perfect vision, images sometimes fail to load due to slow connections or technical glitches. Alt-text ensures your audience still understands what they're missing when your stunning landscape photo doesn't render on their device.
4. Social Media Accessibility
Many social platforms now support alt-text for images, extending your reach and demonstrating your commitment to inclusive communication. This attention to detail reflects well on your brand as a photographer.
How to Write Effective Alt-Text for Photography
Writing alt-text for photographs requires a different approach than for functional or informational images. As artists, we need to balance technical description with emotional impact and artistic intention. Here are guidelines specifically for photographers:
Be Concise but Descriptive
While there is no hard and fast rule as to how long alt-text descriptions should be, advice suggests crafting alt-text descriptions that are “short and sweet'“.
Too vague: "Sunset photo"
Too detailed: "A photograph taken at 7:32 PM on October 12th using a Canon EOS R5 with a 24-70mm lens at f/8, ISO 100, 1/60 sec showing the sunset over the Grand Canyon from the South Rim with tourists visible in the bottom right corner and various geological formations including the Vishnu Basement Rocks visible in the middle distance"
Just right: "A dramatic sunset over the Grand Canyon, with vibrant orange and purple clouds reflecting in the Colorado River below"
Focus on What's Important in Your Image
Consider what drew you to take the photograph in the first place. What's the subject? What emotion were you trying to capture? What makes this image special?
For a portrait: "A close-up black and white portrait of an elderly woman with deep wrinkles and a gentle smile, her eyes reflecting wisdom and joy"
For a street photo: "A bustling Tokyo street at night, illuminated by neon signs, with a lone businessman walking through the rain under a red umbrella"
Include Relevant Details While Avoiding Redundancy
There's no need to include "a photo of" or "an image showing" in your alt-text – screen readers already announce that it's an image. Instead, focus on unique details that matter:
Redundant: "A photograph showing a flower"
Better: "A macro shot of a dew-covered red rose petal with intricate vein patterns visible"
Consider Artistic Intent
As photographers, our images often carry meaning beyond literal description. When relevant, include the mood, emotional impact, or artistic technique:
"A minimalist long-exposure of ocean waves rendered as smooth silk against dark volcanic rocks, creating a sense of tranquility"
Be Mindful of Context
The same image might need different alt-text depending on where it appears. A photo in a blog post about wildlife conservation needs different emphasis than the same image in your fine art portfolio:
Portfolio context: "An intimate wildlife portrait of a silverback mountain gorilla, his weathered face conveying profound intelligence"
Conservation article context: "An endangered mountain gorilla in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, showing the distinctive facial features that researchers use for identification"
Efficient Ways to Implement Alt-Text in Your Workflow
Adding alt-text to every image manually can feel overwhelming, especially if you're managing a large portfolio or blog. Thankfully, modern tools make this process much more efficient:
1. AI-Powered Alt-Text Generation
Several AI tools can now generate surprisingly accurate alt-text for photographs. While you'll want to review and potentially edit these suggestions, they provide an excellent starting point:
Upload to AI chatbots: Services like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google’s Gemini can generate alt-text when you upload images directly. Try uploading your image alongside a prompt such as "Write concise, descriptive alt-text for this photograph that captures both its visual elements and mood."
2. Platform-Specific Tools
Many website platforms now offer integrated alt-text solutions:
Squarespace, which I use for this blog, has implemented an alt-text generation as part of its SEO (search engine optimization) toolkit. This feature dramatically reduces the workload while still giving me final creative control as I can edit the AI-generated descriptions to assure they align with my intensions.
Making It Part of Your Creative Process
The most successful approach is to incorporate alt-text into your regular workflow:
When editing photos: Consider how you would describe each final image in words
During export: Add basic alt-text to your image metadata
While uploading: Refine the description based on the specific context
After publishing: Periodically audit your site for missing or inadequate alt-text
Accessibility as Artistic Responsibility
As photographers, we create images to communicate, evoke emotion, and share our unique perspective. By embracing alt-text as part of our creative process, we extend that opportunity to everyone, regardless of visual ability.
Adding thoughtful alt-text demonstrates respect for our audiences and showcases our professionalism. It's not just about technical compliance—it's about ensuring your artistic voice reaches as many people as possible.
The next time you upload that perfect shot to your portfolio or Instagram feed, take a moment to craft a description that does your image justice. Your photography deserves to be experienced by everyone, and your diverse audience deserves access to your creative vision.
While I admit to being guilty of not always remembering to do so, I’m trying!
