There are a few places you can check.
One is iCloud photos, which, if turned on, would be under Settings > Account > iCloud > Photos > iCloud Photos, which should be turned on.
If not, look at Settings > Account > iCloud > Backup, and see if you can restore from a previous backup.
If not, check your photos library on a Mac or iPad to see if it is there. Though if you have iCloud photos turned off there is a very slim chance you would find them there, unless you have backed up your iPhone to one of these devices.
Your SIM card stores nothing, this only activates your phone for use on cellular networks, and will not be any help in restoring/retrieving your photos.
Hope this helps!