Photos from iPad mini

No - not possible.

As you have an original (first generation) iPad mini, it cannot be updated beyond iOS 9.3.5; iPadOS 13.x is required to directly transfer files to USB from an iPad (an Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter would also be required).

Assuming you have access to a PC - and you have made your Photo’s available to iCloud - the simplest method to transfer files would be to download and install iCloud for Windows on your PC (this is free). Once logged-in to your iCloud account, you can then simply use Windows Explorer to access iCloud and copy your photos to your PC and/or external storage devices from there.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283

Similarly, if you have access to a Mac, you can directly copy to/from your iCloud account - without needing any additional software.

I hope this is helpful in providing a workable solution.

Hello,

This feature requires an iPad running iPadOS 13. Your post states you have an iPad mini (1st generation) which is only compatible with iOS 9 and is not compatible with USB external storage devices.