When you empty the recycle bin, the files which were in it remain on your PC but the space they occupy on your hard drive is marked as 'available for re-use'. This means that any other data written to that part of the drive will over-write your picture files and they will no longer be recoverable.
Everything you do on your PC, including starting it up and shutting it down, results in data being written to those parts of your hard drive which are marked as 'available for use'. So, the more you use your PC, the greater the risk of your precious files being permanently erased. From NOW, don't do anything with your PC which is not absolutely necessary. (Don't run any software, don't access your e-mail, don't browse the net and don't shut your PC down!).
You now need to run some file recovery software. This presents you with two problems. Firstly, any software you download might be written on top of the files you wish to retrieve. Secondly, installing and running the software will result in data being moved around on your PC and, once again, this could result in the destruction of your picture files. Ideally, you should get hold of some software, on CD, which allows you to run the software directly from the CD. Unfortunately, unless you happen to have something like Norton Utilities lying around, this would mean paying high prices at PC World (or similar) for somethig suitable.
Your second best option is to get a friend to download some recovery software to CD and then install it on your PC (while crossing your fingers that this doesn't over-write the picture files).
If you can't do that, you'll have to take the somewhat greater risk of downloading the software yourself. What you're looking for something like this:
http://www.download.com/PC-Inspector-File-Reco very/3000-2248_4-10