@original poster:





It is not your equipment that will make the difference. It will be the person who operates it. Many many great and classic photographs that were made with equipment far inferior to what we would now call good,.. hang in museums. The greatest names in photography made those with cameras less good than todays technology.





So: I would not splash out on equipment. I would develop my own style, take tons of pictures and see where it takes me. I am a photography student myself and shot most of my early work with a Canon 400D. Without any problems. Technology is the last thing you should concern yourself with when you start out. You can do almost anything with any technology: it is WHAT you decide to shoot and HOW you decide to shoot it that will make the difference and shape you as a photographer.