Your point reminds me of when I entered a national photo competition last year. I didn’t win anything, but did get an interview/critique session afterwards.
When I entered online, there was a space for a text waffle about each shot. I left it blank, thinking ‘I’m no good at words - why would I want to speak for the photos?’
In the feedback session he mentioned that some context and description would have helped the judges, and that it’s always good to have.
I dunno…