PHP capture form data and image upload, save to server

I know that this should not be a difficult thing to accomplish in PHP however it is giving me the hardest time!

I am trying to do this:

1) Capture form string data AND an image upload in a single form

2) Upload both types of data to the server with a single non-ajax/traditional POST to a simple PHP script (process.php in this case)

3) Take the image the user uploaded, save it in as a text file in a directory named dynamically by the first letter of the first name and the entire last name concagnated together so for me the directory structure would be as follows: /home/uploads/nabrams/image.jpg, /home/uploads/nabrams/userdata.txt,

*The text file will contain the text strings from the client side form, the image from the input[type="file"], once again contained in the same form, sent to the server with 1 submission.

I am using a text file in order to provide the simplest case possible.

Here is the code I am working with currently:

<?php
$uploaddir = '/home/nicholasabrams/public_html' + '/newprofiledata/' + $lname + '/' + $_FILES['userfile']['name'];
$uploadfile = $uploaddir . basename($_FILES['userfile']['name']);
echo "<p>";

if (move_uploaded_file($_FILES['userfile']['tmp_name'], $uploadfile)) {
  echo "File is valid, and was successfully uploaded.\n";
} else {
   echo "Upload failed";
}

echo "</p>";
echo '<pre>';
echo 'Here is some more debugging info:';
print_r($_POST);
print_r($_FILES);
print "</pre>";

However when attempting to upload an image of several formats and sizes (multiple attempts), I am stuck at an error-less blank window. To no surprise, the script did not upload or rename the image as desired.

Also - when trying to add the post data directly into the file name like so:

$uploaddir = '/home/nicholasabrams/public_html/' + $_POST['lname'] + '/' + $_FILES['userfile']['name']; $uploadfile = $uploaddir . basename($_FILES['userfile']['name']); if (move_uploaded_file($_FILES['userfile']['tmp_name'], $uploadfile))...

I get filenames with 0pictureNameHere.jpg instead of NAbrams.jpg or if using post data to set the directory, I will never get the image or data in this way.

Side note:

I am a Javascript and jQuery ( <- mainly) developer, would it be worth it for me to attempt doing this with express or some other node module? I am not experienced with node although I have been "using it" for the last few months.

Thanks for the help!