Provided are systems and techniques that provide an output phrase describing an image. An example method includes creating, with a convolutional neural network, feature maps describing image features in locations in the image. The method also includes providing a skeletal phrase for the image by processing the feature maps with a first long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network trained based on a first set of ground truth phrases which exclude attribute words. Then, attribute words are provided by processing the skeletal phrase and the feature maps with a second LSTM neural network trained based on a second set of ground truth phrases including words for attributes. Then, the method combines the skeletal phrase and the attribute words to form the output phrase.
Recurrent neural network architectures which provide text describing images