I'm using \usepackage{graphicx,caption} and \usepackage{multicol}. I've got two columns of text. When I try to place an image in my text whilst using the mutlicols package that gives me two columns, I get the error message:
./main.tex: Package multicol Warning: Floats and marginpars not
allowed inside `multicols' environment!.
So what makes me be able to place images in text is to \begin and \end multicols around the image. This works for larger, horizontal images: 
The above is written as:
\end{multicols}
\begin{figure}[h]
\includegraphics[scale=0.275]{fig5closepittard.png}
\captionsetup{width=1.0\linewidth}
\caption{This caption and image is fine because they are oblong enough to cover both columns}
\end{figure}
\begin{multicols}{2}
However, when I have a portrait image that I want embedded within the column, the picture ends up to the side but the caption is in the middle of the page. I would like for the caption to be placed to the side, immediately under the image, but anything I've looked up just tells me how to align the caption but not how to move it across the page. It looks like this: 
The code is written like this:
\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[scale=0.275]{fig8closepittard.png}
\captionsetup{width=0.5\linewidth,justification=raggedright}
\caption{Please can I put this caption to the left underneath my image as opposed to having it in the centre? justification=raggedright or raggedleft only moves the alignment of the text, not the whole caption}
\end{figure}
If anyone knows how I could either place the caption so that it is under the image, or how to make it so that I can place images within multicols, I would be very grateful. Thank you very much in advance.
Best Answer
A possible, very manual solution:
Output of the full width figure:
Output of the single column figure: