I've used photobucket for at least a dozen years, and it used to be a simple click and copy, then paste into the message and the picture appeared. Not the link, the picture.
Simplest thing ever. But like so many computer based things, the site gets "updated" quite often, and each update adds another layer of ads and options and complexity. For the last year i have been thinking about a change. Now theres been another "improvement" and there are so many ads and layers that its just not worth the effort anymore. I'm also losing pictures now. The cynic in me knows that all of this rubbish is just there to force me to pay for the ad free upgrade.
Not gonna happen. I dont react well to authority.
So it looks like I shall have to find the sticky and work out how to post direct.