Icloud

Have bought an ipad mini 2 and am trying to load pictures to it from my imac.
If I do it through itunes (that used to be for music) I can load 10 photos OK no problem, when I try to load the next 10 the first 10 vanish, get replaced, GO !
If I go into photos I find several empty folders from previous attempts above, all empty except one, the last one I put on. or I have hundreds all mixed up. I want several folders for different topics. First folder gets first topic. Second folder gets first and second topic, Third folder gets first, second... and on and on.
Have gone to icloud on my imac (had the imac for ages, never used icloud) uploaded pictures to it, they all seem to be in one folder, I can't separate them out... That's no good.
Go to my ipad, "LIKE WHERE IS ICLOUD ON HERE ?", been through several google searches, they all say go to settings, general, icloud, turn it on. It is turned on and I am signed in, so why is there no button for it on the desk top ?. Maybe it is on the internet, all it does is tell me how to turn it on ! "IT IS ALREADY ON ! WHERE THE ARE YOU THOUGH ? "
Think I will try drop box, why do I have to use a third party app for my ipad ?
Anyone want a new ipad mini 2 32Gb going cheap ? I'm getting an android, they work easily, you don't need a degree in apple logic...
Thnx in advance for any help or advice, but please be quick, there is a wall with it's name on it, and it will arrive there at speed...

 

Well - like - thanks for replying but not answering the question...
I have spent another few hours trying with no success. There is absolutely no real info to teach me how to do it.
Latest attempt, I have created a folder called "Portraits" . Inside there I have put four folders ( Tom, Dick, Harry & Fred ) and put a few photographs in each one. gone to itunes, clicked on the ipad icon and moved the folder "Portraits" across. It works, I have what I want - Hallelujah.
OK lets put some more folders inside the parent folder and transfer to ipad... the first four disappeared.
Only way I can get it to work is to transfer the parent folder across again ! OK whilst there is only 60 middle sized jpegs in there it isn't a problem. But as a professional photographer I want to put thousands of photos on it. Got another shoot next week, Two hours for the shoot, six hours to re-upload everything to ipad.
How can I explore it when no one out there can tell me how to do such a simple task. Selling it is a bad idea, I would feel sorry for the poor sod who bought it. Binning it and everything else mac is probably the best idea !
I turned to mac for the quality of the hardware, I can buy Windows equipment as good as, cheaper, and workable... Reading the forums there are a lot of unhappy mac punters since the demise of the boss. Shame he left it in the hands of a bunch of idiots (no that isn't a strong word, that was reined back a lot) I bet Bill Gates is loving all this