You can't format CD/DVD media, unless it's re-writable. Formatting implies writing to the disk, which in turn renders it "used".
If you still have access to the pictures, transfer them to your HDD, then proceed to copy to your media of choice. That way, you minimize the chances of accidentally deleting them.
If you don't have access to the pics anymore, you might have formatted the card. In that case, you'll need a recovery program to retrieve the files. Don't try to do anything else to that card, every operation will increase the chances of writing over a file (picture), because formatting marks disk space as "usable".