diff --git a/app/components/photo-carousel.gjs b/app/components/photo-carousel.gjs
index d901dfb..1d9ea96 100644
--- a/app/components/photo-carousel.gjs
+++ b/app/components/photo-carousel.gjs
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ export default class PhotoCarousel extends Component {
                   data-src={{photo.url}}
                   class="place-header-photo
                     {{if photo.isLandscape 'landscape' 'portrait'}}"
-                  alt={{@name}}
+                  alt={{photo.alt}}
                   {{fadeInImage photo.url}}
                 />
               {{else if this.isGalleryThumbnails}}
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ export default class PhotoCarousel extends Component {
                   data-src={{if photo.thumbUrl photo.thumbUrl photo.url}}
                   class="place-header-photo
                     {{if photo.isLandscape 'landscape' 'portrait'}}"
-                  alt={{@name}}
+                  alt={{photo.alt}}
                   {{fadeInImage (if photo.thumbUrl photo.thumbUrl photo.url)}}
                 />
               {{else}}
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ export default class PhotoCarousel extends Component {
                     <img
                       data-src={{photo.url}}
                       class="place-header-photo landscape"
-                      alt={{@name}}
+                      alt={{photo.alt}}
                       {{fadeInImage photo.url}}
                     />
                   </picture>
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ export default class PhotoCarousel extends Component {
                   <img
                     data-src={{if photo.thumbUrl photo.thumbUrl photo.url}}
                     class="place-header-photo portrait"
-                    alt={{@name}}
+                    alt={{photo.alt}}
                     {{fadeInImage (if photo.thumbUrl photo.thumbUrl photo.url)}}
                   />
                 {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/components/place-photo-upload.gjs b/app/components/place-photo-upload.gjs
index e0434aa..e204479 100644
--- a/app/components/place-photo-upload.gjs
+++ b/app/components/place-photo-upload.gjs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export default class PlacePhotoUpload extends Component {
   @tracked isPublishing = false;
   @tracked isDragging = false;
   @tracked selectedTags = [];
+  @tracked altText = '';
 
   get place() {
     return this.args.place || {};
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ export default class PlacePhotoUpload extends Component {
     this.file = null;
     this.uploadedPhoto = null;
     this.selectedTags = [];
+    this.altText = '';
     if (this.args.onUploadStateChange) {
       this.args.onUploadStateChange(false);
     }
@@ -118,6 +120,11 @@ export default class PlacePhotoUpload extends Component {
     this.selectedTags = [tag];
   }
 
+  @action
+  updateAltText(event) {
+    this.altText = event.target.value;
+  }
+
   deletePhotoTask = task(async (photoData) => {
     try {
       if (photoData.hash) {
@@ -177,7 +184,10 @@ export default class PlacePhotoUpload extends Component {
         imeta.push(`dim ${photo.dim}`);
       }
 
-      imeta.push('alt A photo of a place');
+      const alt = this.altText.trim();
+      if (alt) {
+        imeta.push(`alt ${alt}`);
+      }
 
       if (photo.fallbackUrls && photo.fallbackUrls.length > 0) {
         for (const fallbackUrl of photo.fallbackUrls) {
@@ -209,6 +219,7 @@ export default class PlacePhotoUpload extends Component {
       // Clear out the file so user can upload more or be done
       this.file = null;
       this.uploadedPhoto = null;
+      this.altText = '';
 
       if (this.args.onUploadStateChange) {
         this.args.onUploadStateChange(false);
@@ -235,13 +246,11 @@ export default class PlacePhotoUpload extends Component {
       {{/if}}
 
       {{#if this.file}}
-        <div class="photo-grid">
-          <PlacePhotoUploadItem
-            @file={{this.file}}
-            @onSuccess={{this.handleUploadSuccess}}
-            @onRemove={{this.removeFile}}
-          />
-        </div>
+        <PlacePhotoUploadItem
+          @file={{this.file}}
+          @onSuccess={{this.handleUploadSuccess}}
+          @onRemove={{this.removeFile}}
+        />
 
         {{#if this.suggestedTags.length}}
           <div class="photo-tag-suggestions">
@@ -263,6 +272,19 @@ export default class PlacePhotoUpload extends Component {
           </div>
         {{/if}}
 
+        <div class="form-group">
+          <label for="photo-alt-input">Description (optional):</label>
+          <input
+            id="photo-alt-input"
+            type="text"
+            class="form-control"
+            placeholder="Describe this photo"
+            value={{this.altText}}
+            disabled={{this.isPublishing}}
+            {{on "input" this.updateAltText}}
+          />
+        </div>
+
         <button
           type="button"
           class="btn btn-primary btn-publish"
diff --git a/app/styles/app.css b/app/styles/app.css
index 4cd1353..9ee5535 100644
--- a/app/styles/app.css
+++ b/app/styles/app.css
@@ -245,13 +245,6 @@ body {
   display: none;
 }
 
-.photo-grid {
-  display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
-  gap: 12px;
-  margin-bottom: 20px;
-}
-
 .photo-upload-item {
   position: relative;
   aspect-ratio: 4 / 3;
@@ -259,6 +252,7 @@ body {
   overflow: hidden;
   background: #1e262e;
   width: 100%;
+  margin-bottom: 1.25rem;
 }
 
 .photo-upload-item img {
@@ -1866,8 +1860,12 @@ button.create-place {
   font-size: 1.2rem;
 }
 
+.place-photo-upload .form-group {
+  margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
+}
+
 .photo-tag-suggestions {
-  margin: 1rem 0 1.5rem;
+  margin-bottom: 1.25rem;
 }
 
 .photo-tag-suggestions-title {
diff --git a/app/utils/nostr.js b/app/utils/nostr.js
index 989cf79..3d43772 100644
--- a/app/utils/nostr.js
+++ b/app/utils/nostr.js
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ export function parsePlacePhotos(events) {
       let blurhash = null;
       let isLandscape = false;
       let aspectRatio = 16 / 9; // default
+      let altText = null;
       let placeIdentifier = event.tags.find((t) => t[0] === 'i')?.[1];
 
       for (const tag of imeta.slice(1)) {
@@ -85,6 +86,10 @@ export function parsePlacePhotos(events) {
               isLandscape = true;
             }
           }
+        } else if (tag.startsWith('alt ')) {
+          const alt = tag.substring(4).trim();
+          // Strip the legacy placeholder we used to write on every event
+          altText = alt === 'A photo of a place' ? null : alt || null;
         }
       }
 
@@ -100,6 +105,7 @@ export function parsePlacePhotos(events) {
           aspectRatio,
           placeIdentifier,
           tags: eventTagValues,
+          alt: altText,
         });
       }
     }
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 41e972a..0b93ed9 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -2331,8 +2331,9 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-lGe34o6EHj9y3Kts9R4ZYs/Gr+6N7MCaMlIFA3F1R2O5/m7K06AxfSeO5530PEERE6/WyEg3lsuyw4GHlPZHog==}
     engines: {node: ^4.5.0 || >= 5.9}
 
-  baseline-browser-mapping@2.9.14:
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-B0xUquLkiGLgHhpPBqvl7GWegWBUNuujQ6kXd/r1U38ElPT6Ok8KZ8e+FpUGEc2ZoRQUzq/aUnaKFc/svWUGSg==}
+  baseline-browser-mapping@2.11.12:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-r7WnVImvVCeFpf2DOXfy41aPWzeNg3H/A2X4dKmy1QL0MSyyk/e7z8ihJ3N6Nn2PsdhkVlqnEfnUE4a05P2aTA==}
+    engines: {node: '>=6.0.0'}
     hasBin: true
 
   basic-auth@2.0.1:
@@ -2538,8 +2539,8 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-RbsNrFyhwkx+6psk/0fK/Q9orOUr9VMxohGd8vTa4djf4TGLfblBgUfqZChrZuW0Q+mz2eBPFLusw9Jfukzmhg==}
     hasBin: true
 
-  caniuse-lite@1.0.30001764:
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-9JGuzl2M+vPL+pz70gtMF9sHdMFbY9FJaQBi186cHKH3pSzDvzoUJUPV6fqiKIMyXbud9ZLg4F3Yza1vJ1+93g==}
+  caniuse-lite@1.0.30001809:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-xxWVywk6a6Arlk+hymeycyn/VgqEfLDxupvhH/xiY5SJ/18kmi9o6MiO320DCUzypORHLtvh0I4i04tUhCNHNQ==}
 
   capture-exit@2.0.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-PiT/hQmTonHhl/HFGN+Lx3JJUznrVYJ3+AQsnthneZbvW7x+f08Tk7yLJTLEOUvBTbduLeeBkxEaYXUOUrRq6g==}
@@ -8420,7 +8421,7 @@ snapshots:
 
   base64id@2.0.0: {}
 
-  baseline-browser-mapping@2.9.14: {}
+  baseline-browser-mapping@2.11.12: {}
 
   basic-auth@2.0.1:
     dependencies:
@@ -8752,8 +8753,8 @@ snapshots:
 
   browserslist@4.28.1:
     dependencies:
-      baseline-browser-mapping: 2.9.14
-      caniuse-lite: 1.0.30001764
+      baseline-browser-mapping: 2.11.12
+      caniuse-lite: 1.0.30001809
       electron-to-chromium: 1.5.267
       node-releases: 2.0.27
       update-browserslist-db: 1.2.3(browserslist@4.28.1)
@@ -8805,7 +8806,7 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       tmp: 0.0.28
 
-  caniuse-lite@1.0.30001764: {}
+  caniuse-lite@1.0.30001809: {}
 
   capture-exit@2.0.0:
     dependencies:
diff --git a/tests/integration/components/place-photo-upload-test.gjs b/tests/integration/components/place-photo-upload-test.gjs
index bd3f5e6..44fa490 100644
--- a/tests/integration/components/place-photo-upload-test.gjs
+++ b/tests/integration/components/place-photo-upload-test.gjs
@@ -97,4 +97,27 @@ module('Integration | Component | place-photo-upload', function (hooks) {
 
     assert.dom('.photo-tag-suggestions').doesNotExist();
   });
+
+  test('it renders an optional alt text input after upload selection', async function (assert) {
+    this.place = {
+      title: 'Cafe Alpha',
+      osmId: '123',
+      osmType: 'node',
+      osmTags: { amenity: 'cafe' },
+    };
+
+    await render(
+      <template><PlacePhotoUpload @place={{this.place}} /></template>
+    );
+
+    assert.dom('#photo-alt-input').doesNotExist();
+
+    const file = new File(['test'], 'photo.jpg', { type: 'image/jpeg' });
+    await selectFile(this.element, file);
+
+    assert.dom('#photo-alt-input').exists();
+    assert
+      .dom('#photo-alt-input')
+      .hasAttribute('placeholder', 'Describe this photo');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/nostr-test.js b/tests/unit/utils/nostr-test.js
index e14349a..61895a7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/nostr-test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/nostr-test.js
@@ -148,6 +148,68 @@ module('Unit | Utility | nostr', function () {
     assert.strictEqual(photos[1].placeIdentifier, 'osm:node:456');
   });
 
+  test('parsePlacePhotos extracts alt text from imeta', function (assert) {
+    const events = [
+      {
+        id: 'event-1',
+        pubkey: 'pubkey-1',
+        created_at: 100,
+        tags: [
+          [
+            'imeta',
+            'url https://example.com/photo.jpg',
+            'dim 800x600',
+            'alt A sunny terrace overlooking the bay',
+          ],
+        ],
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const photos = parsePlacePhotos(events);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(photos.length, 1);
+    assert.strictEqual(photos[0].alt, 'A sunny terrace overlooking the bay');
+  });
+
+  test('parsePlacePhotos strips the legacy placeholder alt text', function (assert) {
+    const events = [
+      {
+        id: 'event-1',
+        pubkey: 'pubkey-1',
+        created_at: 100,
+        tags: [
+          [
+            'imeta',
+            'url https://example.com/photo.jpg',
+            'dim 800x600',
+            'alt A photo of a place',
+          ],
+        ],
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const photos = parsePlacePhotos(events);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(photos.length, 1);
+    assert.strictEqual(photos[0].alt, null);
+  });
+
+  test('parsePlacePhotos leaves alt null when not provided', function (assert) {
+    const events = [
+      {
+        id: 'event-1',
+        pubkey: 'pubkey-1',
+        created_at: 100,
+        tags: [['imeta', 'url https://example.com/photo.jpg', 'dim 800x600']],
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const photos = parsePlacePhotos(events);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(photos.length, 1);
+    assert.strictEqual(photos[0].alt, null);
+  });
+
   test('uniqNormalizedRelays returns normalized unique relays', function (assert) {
     const relays = uniqNormalizedRelays([
       'Relay.example.com',