mput on command line FTP

i'm trying to batch upload some images with this command after i'm connected and in the directory where I want the files. These are the commands i've tried and NONE of them work:

mput /Users/me/path/to/stuff/IMG*
results with:
ftp> mput /Users/me/Desktop/IMG*
mput /Users/me/Desktop/IMG_0984.jpg [anpqy?]? a
Prompting off for duration of mput.
227 Entering Passive Mode (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX).
550 /Users/me/Desktop/IMG_0984.jpg: No such file or directory


mput /Users/me/path/to/stuff/IMG* .
results with local: /Users/me/Desktop/IMG_0993.jpg remote: /Users/me/Desktop/IMG_0993.jpg

mput /Users/me/path/to/stuff/IMG* /path/where/i/want/it/
results with:
550 /Users/me/Desktop/IMG_0999.jpg: No such file or directory
ftp: local: /path/to/where/i/want/it/: No such file or directory

i'm about to pull what little hair i've got out, and I can't use cyberduck because for some dumb reason it won't connect.