[grimm]

canon or nikon will do you fine for a camera body. I personally would get a used camera body and pair it up with a good lens. other than that you don't really need anything to take good photos. work on composition as that is what really separates a snapshot from a good photo.
def spend some time reading up on the technical side, but in the digital age i find it a lot easier to experiment with the camera and settings and see the results first hand. worst case you delete everything off your card and start over. i also find it really helpful to look at other peoples photos and understanding what they did to achieve the shot.

other than that just have at it and have fun.