First of all, how do you feel the camera is "holding you back"? In most cases (according to rumors I have heard), the problem with poor pictures lies in the person holding the camera, not in the camera itself. Certainly, a Canon EOS-10D can be used to take better photos (or, better yet, try one of the new Digital Rebels), but a good photographer can take a great photo with a simple box and a lens (that is basically what Ansel Adams used, and he took some pretty breathtaking pictures.) I have seen a photographer who shoots weddings with a small 35mm handheld rangefinder, and the results of his work with that camera is awesome!

I have (and have used) a Canon EOS-10D, Elan 7, Elan 2E, Mamiya C330, Yashica 124G, Sony CD-Mavica, Fuji 1700 (1.3 MP), and one of the early Mavicas (when 3.5 floppies were the rage), and each and every one of them could/can take beautiful photos. I have never felt that I have "outgrown" my cameras, rather they had features I wanted to play with, or else I just had some $$$ burning a hole in my pocket (I admit I am a gadget freak, and am proud of it.) The camera I use most is the 10D (> 12,000 images in 2 years), but I do use all of them -- most all, anyway.

If I were you, before I went out and bought more equipment, I would invest some time in learning. If you don't want to / can't afford a formal course, at least pick up a book at the local (or online) store, read it, and try some of the stuff. I, myself, am currently a student at the New York Institute of Photography, and have learned quite a lot. One of the first lessons (which I haven't quite mastered, I guess) is "don't go out and buy a bunch of stuff!"

So, I guess the bottom line is, you can certainly buy a better camera, but if you want to improve the quality of your photos, then education and practice will give you the best bang for the buck, IMHO. Try a book, ask questions on these (and other) forums, and by all means go out and shoot!

-Ed Truitt
(still learning)

Some good advice.

To put it in more simpler terms, it's about limitations. Learn the limitations of your equipment and let then let your imagination limit what you can do with the camera. I've owned six or seven different digital cameras, from the 2 megapixel CoolPix 950 to the Nikon D70. To this day I still shoot with two CoolPix 950s and sell the images on a regular basis. More so that with any other digital camera I've ever owned.

Thanks for the reply! Excellent advice and pretty much what I figured people would say. I guess I already knew this but wanted to be assured. I just need to find better subjects for my images I guess. Lighting seems to be the big secret to good looking images no?

Lighting isn't so much of a secret but something that takes learning through practice and experimentation. That's where digital really shines. The cost of practice and experimentation is virtually zero. No film or processing costs.

Good digital photography is no different than good film photography. It's all about the image and whether it tells the story you want to convey. Look closely at the photographs you like in books and magazines and try and put yourself in the head of the photographer.

A good photographer should be able to take a good picture with any camera, within the limits of the equipment. A decent snap can be had with a disposable, but the 1m. focusing minimum would pevent a macro shot, eg.
Photography is really no different than any other graphic art; you are representing a 3D subject on a 2D surface. What compositional design techniques will I use to bring out the subject is the first question that one has to ask themselves, and the second is how does one apply that technique/s in this particular situation or with this particular subject.

Some serious photographers are devoted to the use of pinhole cameras, about as simple a way to make an exposure on film as there is. So, obviously it is what is imprinted on film that makes the difference. This concept was impressed on me as a well equipped photo student by a professor who told my class about a group of camera clubs in his homeland the members of which limited themselve to Zeiss Ikon box cameras, but competed with each other in print salons with 16x20 inch enlargments. Nothing like being challenged to rely on yourself instead of how much you have invested in hardware.

The replies above are very true to the fact that you have to work with the limitations of your equipment. Although you shouldn't have to spend a fortune to raise the limits of your photographic experience. An alternative would be to buy used 35 mm SLR equipment. It shouldn't cost more than the typical new digital cameras. The digital cameras are lowering the price of 35 mm SLR camera bodies. A lot of people are trying to get rid of their old 35 mm SLR cameras to get new digital cameras.

Although you won't be able to see your results immediately after each snapshot, it's up to the user's creativity, skill, and experience to determine the outcome.

You asked, "Where can I learn how to take better pictures without taking classes?" Well, I would recommend the book from National Geographic: "Photography Field Guide: Secrets To Making Great Pictures". This book is perfect for the beginner/amateur. It has lots of detail, clear explanations, lots of colour example photos, stories, etc. Interestingly enough, this book is written by Peter K. Burian, who is a contributor to Shutterbug magazine and actively uses this forum.

Yes your camera is holding you back. There is a reason many pros shell out $US10k plus for the best DSLRs. The more expensive cameras have more resolution so they will capture more detail. If you check it out you will see that top of the line Canons or Nikons will often come up with a better exposure that middle tier camera from the same camera maker. And even a entry level DSLR will produce better images than all but the best digicams.

DSLRs also have less shutter lag, and better compositon abilities because the EVF in digicams cant match the speed of the view finder in a DSLR.

The question is how much is your camera holding you back. Would you really take a whole lot more better pix with a 1Ds and L glass than your current camera. And even if you did take better pix do you have the skill to postprocess the pix so they would match those "cool" images you have seen.

From the tenor of your question I would suggest you have a lot to learn about photography (dont we all). Your comments about light are quite on the money. Without seeing your images in detail I can say I have given the following advice to lots of folks and it seems to work.

First start taking lots of images early in the day, or around sunset. There is a concept called "magic light", and it refers to the soft flattering light when the sun is low in the sky. After a while you will get a feel for what type of light produces what type of image. If you take pix of the same image early in the day, at high noon, and late in the day, you can see the difference between harsh sun light in the middle of the day and softer light at other times.

Next try and learn about histograms. Some cameras have histograms display real time, and others display histograms when you display the image. Almost all postprocessing software displays histograms. To many digital photographers histograms have replaced light meters. Here is a link for histograms and you can navigate the site for lots of good stuff

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

As a final tip, remember some folks do something for twenty years and get twenty years of experience once, other folks get one year of experience twenty times. You want to to the first, not the last.

I'd love to say go buy the camera, that'll do it. But the answer is NEVER that simple.

If you had a $1000 tennis racket and $500 shoes and layed against Andre Agassi and he had $10 walmart shoes and my old bent racket, who do you think would win? Equipment helps, but talent matters more.

Go to www.dpchallenge.com and look around. You can search on cameras and such and see sample shots. I never got as good a shots with my old Fuji S602 as other people did, so i KNOW it was me. What is interesting about DPC is that the 2 photogs with the most ribbons DO NOT use dSLRs!

But i went and got a Rebel anyway.

My question would be, in what way is your camera holding you back?
Is it acting to slow? Doesn't it have enough buttons? Are you missing manual settings (nowadays called "creative mode" - what a, pardon my French, B/S)?
Before you look where the grass is greener, try to manage what you have. Read some of the suggested books, and work with your camera on what you've learned.
I've seen a lot examples where folks changed their cameras more often that their underwear to improve their photography, insted of investing some money in a good book or simply go out and learn to overcome the quirks of their gear (even "professionals" with their mucho pesetas equipment have to do the same)
Most of my color work is done with a Nikon CP 5700 at the moment. It has a lot of shortcomings compared to my film bodies, but I know when and how to use it, and produce sellable prints with it,although it is limiting me in some ways (slow AF, lousy MF, cr@ppy low light AF).