sharing image from Lightroom CC mobile on iPhone using iMessage

I am wondering is anyone is having problems sending images from Lightroom CC mobile using iPhone iMessage.  The option is there but they do not come through to the receiver on iMessage.  I select the image, click share, and select iMessage. but they receiver just gets a message the photo is downloading but it never completes.  There are two image sizes available, small (2048 px) and maximum size.  I am using the 2048 size as it is the smallest.  I have tried sending to different iPhones but it does the same thing.

Images come through just fine on e-mail but not message.

I have also tried sending from Lightroom CC Windows version using the iPhone message address.  in iMessage it says attachment NOT downloaded.

Unfortunately I have some friends that ONLY use iMessage.  I can't convince them to look at their e-mail.

Am I doing something wrong?  I would assume this is a popular thing.  It seems like iPhone does not like the Lightroom CC format.  I have the latest version of ios.