My solution to this is that I own a Synology Diskstation, otherwise commonly known as a NAS (Network-Attached Storage) device.

This device can act as a web server and appears on your desktop as an additional hard drive.  The Synology contains pre-installed SSL encryption (instructions on generating the certificate are found on the web).

So to give  the short answer.  Store your photos on the Synology web folder and link to them from steemit.  The only  requirement to do this is that you need to have a "fixed IP Address" or also called "static IP address" from your internet provider.  Some providers will only do this for you if you have a business internet account, but others will do it for a small monthly fee.

As a bonus the Synology also comes with all other kinds of benefits and features which you can check out on their site if interested.  Also there are many models for every budget.

There are many tutorials on the Synology site that explain the setup process.  https://www.synology.com/en-us/

And last but not least, Synology is not the only manufacturer of these devices, but they are my favorite due to ease of use and setup.