CakePhp 2.x Plugin for storing images in mysql
*** Parts of this plugin are jQuery dependent

1. Clone this plugin in your app/Plugin folder

2. Import schema for images in Config/Schema/images.sql into your projects database

3. Load the plugin in your project's bootstrap.php like so:
    CakePlugin::load('MysqlImageStorage' => array('routes' => true));

4. Wherever you have a form you'd like your users to upload an image  you have to 
    modify the create() form method to look like this:
    echo $this->Form->create('Model', array('enctype' => 'multipart/form-data'));
    also add the following line to your form helper:
    echo $this->Form->input('photo_upload', array('type' => 'file'));

5. Then in the controller's action that will be saving the form & relating the 
    model to the photo add something like the following before you save the model:
    $this->ImageComponent = $this->Components->load('MysqlImageStorage.Image');
    $this->request->data['Model']['image_id'] = $this->ImageComponent->process($this->request->data['Model']);
    ...(other stuff)...
    $this->Model->save($this->request->data)
    *** Replace "Model" with the model you're relating the image to