Test If WP_Query Object Is Empty - wordpress

Question

How can I test to see if a WP_Query object does not return any matches? I'd like to be able to do something like this is a template:
<?php
$my_query = new WP_Query(array('post_type' => 'biographies'))
if( ***HOW DO I TEST $my_query HERE*** ) {
//if $my_query finds anything loop through it here
} else {
//if $my_query does not find anything
}
?>
EDIT
Better example, I want to only display the h2 if the query finds anything:
<?php
$outside_leasing_query = new WP_Query(array( 'post_type' => 'resin_biographies', 'tax_query' => array(
'relation' => 'AND',
array( 'taxonomy' => 'resin_buildings', 'field' => 'slug', 'terms' => $page_slug ),
array( 'taxonomy' => 'resin_leasing_companies', 'field' => 'slug', 'terms' => 'rubenstein-partners', 'operator' => 'NOT IN' )
) )); // resin_buildings taxonomy term slug must match page slug
?>
<h2>Outside Leasing Contacts</h2>
<?php while ( $outside_leasing_query->have_posts() ) : $outside_leasing_query->the_post(); ?>
<article <?php post_class('group'); ?>>
<?php
if( get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_headshot', true ) != '' ) {
echo '<img class="contact-thumb" src="' . get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_headshot', true ) . '" alt="'. get_the_title() .'" />';
} else {
echo '<img class="contact-thumb-placeholder" src="' . get_bloginfo('template_url') . '/images/default_headshot.jpg" alt="'. get_the_title() . '" />';
}
?>
<div class="contact-info">
<hgroup>
<?php the_title( '<h3>', '</h3>' ); ?>
<h4 class="contact-title"><?php echo get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_title', true ); ?></h4>
</hgroup>
<div class="contact-address"><?php echo wpautop( get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_address', true ) ); ?></div>
<div class="contact-tel"><span>T</span> <?php echo get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_tel', true ); ?></div>
<?php if( get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_fax', true ) != '' ) { ?>
<div class="contact-fax"><span>F</span> <?php echo get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_fax', true ); ?></div>
<?php } ?>
<div class="contact-email"><?php echo get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_biography_email', true ); ?></div>
</div>
</article>
<?php endwhile; ?>
<?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

Answer 1

The standard Wordpress Loop does this for you using have_posts().
<?php
$my_query = new WP_Query(array('post_type' => 'biographies'));
if($my_query->have_posts()) : while($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post();
?>
<!-- YOUR POST(S) -->
<?php endwhile; else : ?>
<p>No posts found</p>
<?php endif; ?>

Answer 2

I figure you could use:
!($my_query->have_posts())
so:
<?php
$my_query = new WP_Query(array('post_type' => 'biographies'))
if( !($my_query->have_posts())) {
//if $my_query finds anything loop through it here
} else {
//if $my_query does not find anything
}
?>

Answer 3

In your first example, where you have the comment:
//if $my_query does not find anything
Just set a parameter like this:
$my_query_found_something = 'not';
Then use it wherever you need like this:
if ($my_query_found_something == 'not') {
// keep looking
}