Oh, GOO-OOD! My go-to workaround has been
• start a LJ post
• upload the pic to it
• grab the HTML display code, including the pic's URL at LJ
• start a post here
• paste the LJ code into it
• finish and save the local post, which my preferences cause to automatically xpost to LJ
• view the post locally on my Reading page
• delete the unfinished LJ post

This should be MUCH simpler!