Can I upload pictures to iCloud from iphone

You can import your photos to your Mac and copy them to an external drive as a backup for example:

Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC - Apple Support

Using iCloud Photos to transfer your photos to iCloud will not back up your photos. All changes made to your photos will be mirrored to all devices that use iCloud Photos. Deleting photos on one device will also remove the pictures from the other ones.

Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support