You could have forgotten dots:
$sql='INSERT INTO '.$tbl_name.' (photographerID, photoDesc, PhotoString) VALUES ('$row', '$description', "k00138899.atspace.eu/photoalbum/upload/'.$imagestring.'.'.$filetype.'")';
Probably should be:
$sql='INSERT INTO '.$tbl_name.' (photographerID, photoDesc, PhotoString) VALUES ("'.$row.'", "'.$description.'", "k00138899.atspace.eu/photoalbum/upload/'.$imagestring.'.'.$filetype.'")';