The imagick_read() method of the imagick module doesn't return success or failure.

For example:

//this code will die on the read method as it should 
//because the photo doesn't exist
$handle = imagick_create() or die ("Could not create handle");
imagick_read($handle, "DoesntExist.jpg") or die ("Could not read photo");

//this code will die on the read method even though
//the photo exist and if no error check is done, subsequent 
//methods imagick methods on the photo would work
$handle = imagick_create() or die ("Could not create handle");
imagick_read($handle, "GoodPhoto.jpg") or die ("Could not read photo");