Feeling in the doldrums? That new DSLR gathering dust on the shelf? Happens all too often as we keep taking the same type of pictures year in and year out with every new camera we get, hoping the latest will kickstart our creativity. Sometimes, it does, with a combination of features and ease-of-use that frees you from the constraints of a bad user interface. But if you find yourself upgrading constantly with no visible show of progress, maybe what you need is Photo Radar’s 32 Photography Projects guaranteed “to keep you motivated all year long.“

George Cairns over at PhotoRadar has an interesting tutorial on turning a picture into a watercolor painting. What I especially like about his technique is that, instead of simply applying the Photoshop Watercolor Filter, he uses various brushes to personalize the watercolor effect. I’ve seen some painters do that: take a picture of a scene and then paint from it. If you’re not any good at painting, use the watercolor filter, oherwise his technique allows you to paint from an exisiting picture onto a virtual canvas.

Read the Turn photographs into watercolour paintings tutorial @ PhotoRadar.

Different photographers do it differently and the reaction they get from the subjects being photographed vary also. Street photography can be downright scary the first time you venture out to do it, but there are tried and proven strategies that work.

Three pros of street photography — David Solomons, Matt Stuart, and Nick Turpin — share their secrets and tips with us over at PhotoRadar.

Read the article at: PhotoRadar.

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Fujifilm FinePix X100

“The X100 does deliver, with overall superb image quality in a range of conditions and a usefully fast optic which can be used to create particularly shallow depth of field. Score: 4.5/5”

We’ve added another Fujifilm X100 [QuickPrice Check] Review in our Reviews Matrix.

PhotoRadar has posted their review of the Fujifilm X100, a retro rangefinder-style APS-C digital camera with 12.3 MP resolution (23.6 x 15.8 mm CMOS), F2 35 mm equiv. single focal lens (not interchangeable), 9-blade aperture diaphragm, 2.8-in. (460k-dot) LCD, Eye Sensor, PASM, One-touch RAW, In-camera RAW Converter, Continuous Shooting 5fps, Hybrid Optical/Electronic Viewfinder, built-in ND Filter (3 stops), Electronic Level, aperture ring, shutter speed dial, exposure compensation dial, Motion Panorama, and 720p HD Movie 1280×720 @ 24fps with stereo sound.

You can read the Fujifilm X100 Review at: PhotoRadar.

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Samsung NX100

“[The Samsung NX100] will further bolster the company’s reputation as a serious player in the photography market.”

We’ve added a new Samsung NX10 [Specs] Review to our Reviews Matrix.

PhotoRadar has published their review of the Samsung NX100, a compact mirrorless Digital Interchangeable Lens (DIL) camera with 14.6MP on an APS-C CMOS image sensor, 3.0-in. AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) display screen (614k-dot), VGA EVF (921k-dot), Smart AUTO, PASM, Scene modes, i-Function, RAW file, and HD movie 1280 x 720 @ 30fps with monaural sound. You can connect an optional external EVF.

You can read the Samsung NX100 review at: PhotoRadar.

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Nikon D7000

“The Nikon D7000 is an excellent camera capable of capturing a high level of detail across the full sensitivity range.”

We’ve added another Nikon D7000 [QuickPrice Check] Review to our Reviews Matrix.

PhotoRadar has published their review of the Nikon D7000, with 16.2MP resolution (on an APS-C CMOS sensor), 50-millisecond shutter response, a 39-point AF system with 9 centre cross-type sensors, 6fps burst speed for up to 100 images, a 2,016 pixel RGB 3D Matrix Metering System, Optical viewfinder with 100% frame coverage, ISO range from 100-6400, plus Hi-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent), 3.0-inch LCD Monitor (921k-dot), Picture Control System and the ability to process RAW images directly in the camera and add in special effects using the retouch menu, dedicated Live View switch, and dedicated Movie button for Full HD 1080p Video at 24fps with full-time AF and manual exposure control for exposure adjustment on the fly while recording. The Nikon D7000 is dust and moisture sealed and the body features magnesium-alloy top and rear covers.

You can read the Nikon D7000 review at: PhotoRadar.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

We’ve added another Panasonic GF2 Preview to our Reviews Matrix.

PhotoRadar has published their preview of the Panasonic GF2, a compact mirrorless Micro Four-Thirds Digital Interchangeable Lens (DIL) camera with 12.1MP resolution (on a 17.3 x 13.0 mm LiveMOS sensor), 3.0-in. (460k-dot) Touch panel LCD, PASM, Contrast AF system, RAW, and Full HD 1920×1080 with stereo sound.

You can read the Panasonic GF2 Preview at: PhotoRadar.

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Over 114,000 pictures were entered in this year’s Photographer of the Year competition. See some of the best entries, and browse the shortlist galleries.

View the entries at: Photo Radar.