Thanks Max, MrYum and Maj. Stress... it sounds like offering an option for "pics on html pages" would be worth doing.
I can see how a nice line of text above the pic could help lift CTR. Now maybe it would be going 'one link too far' but what I'm thinking is also having something like this _under_ the pic (with much better text of course):
<<click here to return to main page>> <<click here to see more at sponsor>>
So at the bottom you have an alternative choice instead of just 'click or don't.'
I'm wondering if anyone's tried having two links like this under the pic on a html page?