i want to give my old iPad away, how can I clear it of all data without losing the pics etc
See the instructions in What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
It will not affect any of your other devices.
See the instructions in What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
It will not affect any of your other devices.
If your photos are included in your backups, there is nothing to worry about. You can safely erase the iPad and then when you restore the backup to your new iPad, the photos will be restored along with your data.
If you use iCloud Photos, the photos are not included in the backup, but you will be able to download them again from iCloud when you set up your new device by turning on iCloud Photos in Settings>Your Name>iCloud>Apps using iCloud>Photos>iCloud Photos>On.
New ipad
