Hi Chris,
Well, I'm not sure quite what you are asking, but I'll try to explain.
Photos are able to be added once you are signed on. To add a photo, just go to the Photos page and click the Add Photos link on the upper right. Then just follow your nose. It works fine and seems very easy, so I don't think I can say anymore than that.
Comments for photos appear underneath the photos once you are actually viewing them. And that's where you add a comment too. If you are looking at the latest activity on the main page, click the word 'comment' to see the comments - where it says Joe Blow commented on Humpty Dumpty's photo.
To chat to someone you need them to be online. You can send them a message like on the Forum. Just go to their member page and choose Send a Message on the left. That will turn up in their Inbox. You could for example invite them to come online at a later time. The other option is to wait until they are online and send them a private message (click their name in the chat room and select Private Chat). I think though that it depends on them actually looking at the chat room and seeing the message. I am not sure if any sort of alert is issued to them. So it is a bit clumsy I think, but much the same as most chat rooms.
Does this help at all?