z-index issue when placing text over images

Question

I'll provide CSS and HTML sources first.

jsFiddle

The live example is here

The problem is, h2 texts are not visible unless I do z-index: -1; on images. It makes the text appear, however, then the image is being lost and I look at body background.

There is not something touching z-index values except the fixed navigation bar at top.

What may be causing this, can you have a look?

Ps. Writing z-index: 2; on H2 tags doesn't work either.

Answer 1

i change your HTML & CSS

change in HTML: Move img into a tag

 <div class="spotlight-area">
    <div class="spotlight">

            <div class="spotlight-item width-2 height-2">
                <a href="#" class="spotlight-info">
                    <h2 class="large">
                        Random text
                    </h2>
                    <img src="http://www.sobafire.com/__v2/themes/default/images/news/spotlight-big.jpg" alt="haber">
                </a>


            </div>

            <div class="spotlight-item width-1 height-1">
                <a href="#" class="spotlight-info">
                    <h2>
                        Random Text
                    </h2>
                </a>

                <img src="http://i.imgur.com/TAxDMus.jpg" alt="haber">
            </div>

            <div class="spotlight-item width-1 height-1">
                <a href="#" class="spotlight-info">
                    <h2>
                        Random Text
                    </h2>
                    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/TAxDMus.jpg" alt="haber">
                </a>


            </div>

            <div class="spotlight-item width-1 height-1">
                <a href="#" class="spotlight-info">
                    <h2>
                        Random Text
                    </h2>
                    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/TAxDMus.jpg" alt="haber">
                </a>


            </div>

            <div class="spotlight-item width-1 height-1">
                <a href="#" class="spotlight-info">
                    <h2>
                        Random Text
                    </h2>
                    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/TAxDMus.jpg" alt="haber">
                </a>


            </div>

            <div class="spotlight-item width-1 height-1">
                <a href="#" class="spotlight-info">
                    <h2>
                        Random Text
                    </h2>
                    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/TAxDMus.jpg" alt="haber">
                </a>


            </div>

    </div>
</div>

css:

change On CSS: Remove position: absolute; From img and ADD It TO .spotlight-area .spotlight .spotlight-item:hover .spotlight-info h2 Remove padding From .spotlight-area .spotlight-info { and Add Margin to .spotlight-area .spotlight .spotlight-item:hover .spotlight-info h2 with similar value

.spotlight-area {
width: 790px;
margin: 0px auto;
padding: 0px;
}
.spotlight-area img, .spotlight-area embed {
max-width: 100%;
height: auto;
min-height: 50px;
}

.spotlight-area .spotlight {
display: block;
border-top: 1px solid #3b3b3b;
border-left: 1px solid #3b3b3b;
float: left;
margin-bottom: 4px;
}

.spotlight-area .spotlight .width-1 { width: 262px }
.spotlight-area .spotlight .width-2 { width: 525px }
.spotlight-area .spotlight .height-1 { height: 174px }
.spotlight-area .spotlight .height-2 { height: 349px }
.spotlight-area .spotlight .spotlight-item {
float: left;
position: relative;
border-bottom: 1px solid #3b3b3b;
border-right: 1px solid #3b3b3b;
overflow: hidden;
 }

 .spotlight-area .spotlight .spotlight-item:hover .spotlight-info h2 {
color: #ffc203;
 }
 .spotlight-area .spotlight .spotlight-item img {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;

top: 0;
left: 0;
margin: 0;
border: 0;
    z-index: -1; /* tricky part */
}

.spotlight-area .spotlight-info {
display: block;
height: 100%;
min-height: 50px;
}

.spotlight-area .spotlight-info a {
display: block;
height: 100%;
min-height: 50px;
padding: 20px;
}

.spotlight-area .spotlight .spotlight-item .spotlight-info h2 {
display: inline-block;
max-width: 480px;
font-size: 30px;
line-height: 32px;
color: #f0f0f0;
    position: absolute;
    margin:20px;
} 

in My Test This Change work

Answer 2

If you want z-index:2 on <h2> works, you should add position:relative; or position:absolute; or position:fixed.

You can see z-index