iCloud Photos

Hi rohu-86,

Thanks for posting in Apple Support Communities. You can move to an iPhone 14 without photos by first turning off iCloud Photos on your iPhone 12 using these steps from How to turn off iCloud Photos - Apple Support.

"On your iPhone or iPad

1. Go to Settings, then tap your name.
2. Tap iCloud > Photos.
3. Deselect "Sync this [Device]" to turn off iCloud Photos."

Then, create a new iCloud backup from your iPhone 12, using the following guidance from How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud - Apple Support.

" 1. Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network.

2.Go to Settings > [your name], and tap iCloud.

3.Tap iCloud Backup.

4.Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process ends. Under Back Up Now, you'll see the date and time of your last backup. If you get an alert that you don't have enough iCloud storage space to complete the backup, follow the onscreen steps to upgrade your iCloud storage."

During setup of your iPhone 14, choose the new backup that you created. The following is from Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support.

"Restore your device from an iCloud backup

1. Turn on your device. You should see a Hello screen. If you already set up your device, you need to erase all of its content before you can use these steps to restore from your backup.
2. Follow the onscreen setup steps until you reach the Apps & Data screen, then tap Restore from iCloud Backup. 
3. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID.
4. Choose a backup. Look at the date and size of each and pick the most relevant. After you choose a backup, the transfer starts. If a message says that a newer version of software is required, follow the onscreen steps to update. If you don't see onscreen steps to help you update, learn what to do.
5. When asked, sign in with your Apple ID to restore your apps and purchases. If you've purchased iTunes or App Store content using multiple Apple IDs, you'll be asked to sign in to each. If you can't remember your password, you can tap Skip this Step and sign in later. You won't be able to use the apps until you sign in with your Apple ID.
6. Stay connected to Wi-Fi and wait for a progress bar to appear and complete. Depending on the size of the backup and the network speed, the progress bar might need a few minutes to an hour to complete. If you disconnect from Wi-Fi too soon, the progress will pause until you reconnect.
7. Now you can finish setup and enjoy your device. Content like your apps, photos, music, and other information will continue to restore in the background for the next several hours or days, depending on the amount of information there is. Try to connect often to Wi-Fi and power to let the process complete."

Once your iPhone 14 is set up, you can disable iCloud Photos there as well to prevent iCloud Photos from syncing. If you would prefer to start fresh, you can also set the new iPhone 14 up as new. You'll see that option during setup.

Take care.