iPhone and icloud
I am a bit confused. How do I access my iCloud to retrieve pics and such? I think I’m missing something.
iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 13
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There is a difference between iCloud Photos (for example) and iCloud Backup. iCloud Photos sync (dynamically as photos change) your photos to iCloud and to other devices where it is turned on and they can be viewed on all of those devices and by using a computer internet browser at iCloud.com. See: Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support
On the other hand, if it is turned on, iCloud Backup periodically backs up to iCloud and you can use the backup to restore or set up a device but you cannot view the contents of the Backup. Also things that are already synced to iCloud as described in the first paragraph above are not also backed up by iCloud Backup. See: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
On an iPhone, iCloud is designed to be viewed by using the apps on the device (e.g., the Files app for iCloud Drive, the Photos app for iCloud Photos, the Notes app for notes, etc.).
You can also use an internet browser and log into icloud.com. What you can access via a browser varies by device. See: Which iCloud.com features are available in the browser on your device - Apple Support
Also note that while you can view synced data as described above, it is not possible to view the contents of an iCloud Backup. You can only use the backup to do a full restore of a device or to setup a new device.
The following may also help: Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support