@Sphinx Google Photos has the option of saving the files As Is -- without trying to recompress them to save space.
If they are medium resolution for todays standards, and already in jpeg format, the file will be stored untouched -- and will NOT count against the allocated 15 GB space.
RAW, uncompressed images are huge and cumbersome, and unneeded unless you plan to do further processing, touch ups, professional level work. Those would be best stored locally in an external hard drive for example.
I don't use Google Photos but have read the terms and helped people who DO use them -- and their camera originals are stored untouched and without counting against quota space.