Absolute Crisis -- 3 years of photos Gone. (Please, please...someone help me)

My example is nothing compared to Nelson Mandela...

However, it still hurts. Very very much. It's a beautiful day outside and my camera is sitting right next to me, but I just can't will myself to do it anymore. My thoughts are totally centered on this...

Right now I am in limbo and I just can't get out. I know I need to...I know this. But I just CAN'T. Not right now.

I'm sure this all sounds over-dramatic, but I swear to everyone here that I am not trying to do this for attention. I am in a whirlwind of anger and depression and it won't end until I know I have at least SOME of my photos back.

If all are really gone, I don't......I just don't know if I can do it again. I should, but I will ALWAYS remember the photos that were erased. Always.

Still, your post was insightful and I thank you deeply for it. You have given me thoughts that I need to consider in this personal moment of despair.

pwm2 wrote in post #12576171
It's time to get a grip and put everything in perspective.

Whatever happens with your photos, three years is nothing. And it was three years of photos - not three years of your life. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison - 9 times as long time. Would he see his life as over for the loss of 3 years of photos?

While it isn't possible to recreate what was, you still have all your knowledge. And the equipment. While you wait for the outcome of the of this debacle: Grab your camera and go out and shoot.

And from this day, do what have been recomended a number of times in many threads on this site:
- format your memory cards in the cameras.
- shoot to multiple memory cards to limit loss from card failure.
- verify that you can read them back.
- document subjects and other information you want to live with the pictures.
- duplicate the data as soon as you can.
- keep duplicates at multiple locations.
- validate your storage strategies regularly.
- regularly refresh to newer technologies or media to avoid problem with age.

Worrying about spild milk has never helped anyone. It's what you do with your future that tells what kind of person you are. Are you someone who do what you threatened - selling your camera gear - or are you someone who always see what can be learned by things that happens, and go on with the life some knowledge richer? Are you someone who complain or someone who fight?

SimplyShane wrote in post #12576282
However, it still hurts. Very very much. It's a beautiful day outside and my camera is sitting right next to me, but I just can't will myself to do it anymore.

The act of making those photographs is why you are at your current level of talent. If it hadn't been for taking those pictures, you wouldn't have that experience under your belt already. You created them, they didn't create you. I would reconsider not having the will to take any more photographs, because that will have meant all of that practice, and all of the hard work you put in to getting yourself to where you are, will have been done in vain. The physical files, gone or not, doesn't change the fact that you still have the knowledge, the skill, and the talent to continue to create great art. It would be such a shame if this incident extinguished that flame. Don't let the passion die along with those files.

http://www.msfn.org …uring-nlite-iso-creation/

THIS is exactly what happened to me. I'm glad I stumbled upon it. My brother did not intentionally delete my photos, but his ignorance DID.

Hopefully everyone now realizes what I'm dealing with here. Recuva, when attempting to find files that had been deleted from the Desktop-only, failed in recovering them. (Unlike the individual who reported success with that method in the thread.) Soon after that, I shut down my computer...

My chances don't look good at all. Nlite completely wiped out my 3 years worth of photography, all so that my brother could have a little fun with a slimmer version of XP...

This is making me absolutely sick. Yes, I should have backed them up, and I WAS GOING TO DO JUST THAT...

But it seems I was a day late. I want to scream and yell at my brother, but what good will that do? The photos won't return... (System Restore, for whatever reason, was also disabled. I suspect CCleaner was the cause and if so, I am at fault for that.)

Ultimately, it comes down to this: Drive Savers or bust. Sink or swim. There's no way I'll be able to sleep or eat well these next few weeks.

Randi wrote in post #12576460
The act of making those photographs is why you are at your current level of talent. If it hadn't been for taking those pictures, you wouldn't have that experience under your belt already. You created them, they didn't create you. I would reconsider not having the will to take any more photographs, because that will have meant all of that practice, and all of the hard work you put in to getting yourself to where you are, will have been done in vain. The physical files, gone or not, doesn't change the fact that you still have the knowledge, the skill, and the talent to continue to create great art. It would be such a shame if this incident extinguished that flame. Don't let the passion die along with those files.

I still have the skill, but now lack the results and thus a portfolio.

Dear God this whole thing is an absolute nightmare. I just dont know if I can find the will to do it anymore if everything is gone. I honestly don't. My spirit, my energy...it has all been washed away. I can't stay calm or relaxed. Depression is the only constant.

I know some might laugh at such statements, but it's true. For me, photography was more than just a hobby. It was MY LIFE. I lived and breathed it for 3 years, and to have that deleted by a late night mishap is just...crushing...in every sense of the word.

If it were really that important you would have had your photos backed up in three different locations. You sound like you need a testosterone boost.

First of all, the prospect of losing all your photos is terrible. I would not want to be in your shoes, and I can only imagine what it feels like. I'm sorry to hear the prospects might not look so great. I'm rooting for you to recover at least some of your photos. You're entitled to your grief and regret, and gnashing of teeth. Many of us would feel similarly, I'm sure. But the advice you're getting to put this in perspective is excellent. Granted, maybe a little soon in your mind, but still excellent.

I've been a professional artist for a long time. If all my past paintings were to suddenly go poof, that'd be very sad, but not even close to being the end of the world. I'm way more interested in the art I've yet to create than the art I've already created. I suggest you try to look at it similarly. You sound relatively young, and probably have years of shooting ahead of you. What you shoot in your next few years will almost certainly come to define you as a photographer more than what you shot in the past. Your arc is going up. Unless, of course, you let this episode stop you.

I looked at your flickr page. Nice photos. Really. Now, take a couple of deep breaths, get off the internet, grab that camera beside you, and go make some more!! I think you'll feel better.

Suddie1215 wrote in post #12576617
If it were really that important you would have had your photos backed up in three different locations. You sound like you need a testosterone boost.

I've admitted my fault in this multiple times. Both my brother and I are IDIOTS. Yes.

Satisfied now?

bfg444 wrote in post #12576667
First of all, the prospect of losing all your photos is terrible. I would not want to be in your shoes, and I can only imagine what it feels like. I'm sorry to hear the prospects might not look so great. I'm rooting for you to recover at least some of your photos. You're entitled to your grief and regret, and gnashing of teeth. Many of us would feel similarly, I'm sure. But the advice you're getting to put this in perspective is excellent. Granted, maybe a little soon in your mind, but still excellent.

I've been a professional artist for a long time. If all my past paintings were to suddenly go poof, that'd be very sad, but not even close to being the end of the world. I'm way more interested in the art I've yet to create than the art I've already created. I suggest you try to look at it similarly. You sound relatively young, and probably have years of shooting ahead of you. What you shoot in your next few years will almost certainly come to define you as a photographer more than what you shot in the past. Your arc is going up. Unless, of course, you let this episode stop you.

I looked at your flickr page. Nice photos. Really. Now, take a couple of deep breaths, get off the internet, grab that camera beside you, and go make some more!! I think you'll feel better.

I thank you for this comment. I AM young, and as such, I AM emotional about this. It was a mistake that I will never again make in my entire life. (Yes, I will go that far.)

The weight of this is still suffocating me, but I hope against all hope that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I know that other people have dealt with so much WORSE. Yes. I understand that.

I'm still alive after all. However, right now...I feel miserable.

One last thought before I try to eat...

From personal experience, I know that Recuva is able to read *some* files from MONTHS in the past even AFTER reformatting. (I know this from trying it out on an older SD Card of mine about three months ago.)

Given this to be true, why did it not see these files? Should I have used the "Search Everywhere" option instead? (With Deep Scan enabled?)

What about system restore to yesterday

kjonnnn wrote in post #12576719
What about system restore to yesterday

I believe he already tried this.

SimplyShane wrote in post #12576499
The photos won't return... (System Restore, for whatever reason, was also disabled. I suspect CCleaner was the cause and if so, I am at fault for that.)

http://www.krollontrac​k.com …covery/recovery​-software/

I've been researching more options and it seems like Kroll gets even better ratings than Drive Savers. Also, this page seems to suggest that these SOFTWARE based options are just as effective as other options out there considering the circumstances. (My hardware is perfectly fine and is NOT damaged.)

This makes sense to me. Does anyone out there have any thoughts on this? Should I try these guys out first?

Also, would loading software through a USB drive actually cause any more damage to my system? I don't see how it would, but maybe I am wrong.

SimplyShane wrote in post #12576686
I thank you for this comment. I AM young, and as such, I AM emotional about this. It was a mistake that I will never again make in my entire life. (Yes, I will go that far.)

The weight of this is still suffocating me, but I hope against all hope that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I know that other people have dealt with so much WORSE. Yes. I understand that.

I'm still alive after all. However, right now...I feel miserable.

This may sound a bit hard, but don't make any rash comments about selling your gear and giving up. At least, not if you ever thought you had anything to contribute at all to the world of photography. Jump up and down, beat your breast, yell and scream for a bit, then get over it.

Not one of those pics you've lost is as good as the stuff you are yet to take.

I know how this hurts...many years ago my darkroom burnt to the ground. That also was three years worth of negatives and transparencies, as well as all my camera gear including my beloved Linhof...all a ruin and no recovery software to help!

Later that year I was chosen to take photographs in Antarctica, and that wouldn't have happened if I'd curled up in a ball and given up...so don't despair!

I am probably too late to be of any help, but I had a drive that had a scramble partition. I downloaded a trial version of "RecoverMyFiles" It found over 67,000 photos. I bought the license and proceeded to recover the files. There were some that were scrambled and some that were recovered but without the directory structure, but most were intact in their original file structure. It took a long time to save the files because I was writing them over the network to a NAS box. But the bottom line is I have almost all of my game photos from the beginning of 2011 up until the day before the drive cratered.

Note: Many of these photos were shot in RAW format with the Canon 1D MK3 or the Canon 7D. Before buying the license, I asked their customer support about RAW files. They confirmed the software would recover them...and it did.