EVERYTHING on my iPhone got deleted

I got an iPhone 5 in December.

I didn't connect it to iTunes to download music or anything because I already had an iPod Touch, so I thought, "What's the point?" But then, this week, my iPod Touch finally stopped working after many years of use and abuse. So I decided to sync my iPhone to iTunes for the first time. (I realize now that this was probably my first mistake, but oh well.)

So I synced my iPhone to iTunes for the first time… AND IT TURNED IT INTO AN iPOD TOUCH. The interface, the software, all converted to iPod Touch software from 2010. The camera app, the phone app, everything was gone. So of course I majorly freaked out and panicked. I connected my phone back to iTunes and clicked "Restore". (I realize this was probably my SECOND major mistake; but I was really freaked out and desperate.) And my iPhone 5 interface and software came back---thank God---but it re-set my phone to factory settings! As in BRAND NEW. All my contacts, all my pictures, all my apps, everything gone.

I'm not so upset about my apps and contacts because those can easily be re-downloaded and brought back. But I'm really upset over my photos, because I had quite a few really nice photos of friends and family. I know that this is all pretty much my fault because I panicked, but is there ANY Way that I could possibly bring back all my contacts, pictures, apps, et cetera? If I took it in to the Apple store, do you think they could fix that? Or, now that I've restored, it's basically all gone forever?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(And can I just add? What kind of MORON at Apple decided it would be a good idea to put the option in to convert your iPhone to your old iPod? Why the h e l l would anyone want to DO that? It pisses me off majorly.)

O boy: s