Hello ausqld,
No, you should be able to share the photos between the devices. It might have something to do with your Mac settings, depending on the OS version you're running. The article that was previously shared with you, also gives that information. You could also make sure that you are not experiencing this due to a network issue like a VPN, blocked ports or filtering.
TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products - Apple Support
If the issue persists, you'll want to reach out to Apple Support directly.
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