ipfs.pics is important ... we should figure out how to get it back up.
But in the meantime, you can still access the pictures at https://ipfs.io/ipfs/[hash] just like you used to be able to at https://ipfs.pics/ipfs/[hash]. You can still upload them using an ipfs tool even if ipfs.pics is not functioning for now.
It's good practice to use an image service such as ipfs that includes the hash in the url; this way it is harder for some other party to change the image on you later, and users can detect if it has been done.