Question about how pictures and cameras...

[newbie101]

So I lost my camera over the holidays and I'm looking to get a new one. I usually would just wait for a sale on a Powershot and get that.

But lately I keep seeing incredibly clear, crisp and colorful pictures popping up everywhere on the net and i'm beyond jealous. I used to think that only professional photographers could take those kind of pictures, but i so frequently see non studio shots like that in people's personal blogs that it makes me think that's not the case any more.

So obviously I'm pretty clueless as far as photography goes so I justed to know if theres any consumer friendly camera these days that doesn't cost an arm and a leg that could accomplish such quality?

My partner makes fun of me for my inarticulation of my fascination with "pretty" pictures. The best I can come up with verbally is that the pictures are really clear, crisp and colorful. As an example- the pictures on this site (though I realize they are more artistic than I ever hope to acheive- I'm more talking about the clearness and the color of the pictures).
http://www.latartinegourmande.com/

What kind of camera would you need to get this effect? Do you need to know how to use camera settings, lenses etc etc to achieve the clearness and color (in other words- how complicated will it be even with the right camera?)?

Thanks. Like I said, I'm pretty clueless.

More examples:
http://community.livejournal.com/adayinmylife/1854082.html?#cutid1
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa231/lobster_fricassee/adiml2/photo550.jpg
http://the-moaner-lisa.livejournal.com/215611.html#cutid1 (the brighter/clear ones- no idea if the pictures were taken with the same camera)

[watchtherocks]

You can take amazing, spectacular pictures with anything that records an image. The key is, to know how to use it. For instance, I can use a DSLR fine, but stick me behind an LF or pinhole camera and I'm clueless.

A Canon G-series camera sounds like it could be what you're after. It offers a flash hotshoe, which is one of the things that makes the images you're looking at so amazing, and also offers full creative control via the manual controls.
The images you linked to actually have a fairly large range of 'good' features, so it's kinda hard to point out general features, but short DOF, even and bright lighting for the food shots, creative framing and strong b&w conversion for the b&w shots all help to make the images eye-catching.

You can do all of that without a DSLR, apart from perhaps the short DOF, which requires fast lenses.
It is very hard to teach someone how to take good photos. There is no checklist.
Just experiment experiment experiment, try out new things, and be constantly asking questions.

[PhotosGuy]

You can take amazing, spectacular pictures with anything that records an image. The key is, to know how to use it. The first thing you need to look at is the light on your subject. Some images from relatively cheap cameras:
Post your best shots from the "kit lens"-EF-S 18-55. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=185522)

Post your best shots from Rebel/ XT / XTI (300D/350D/400D) (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=496404)

Then you need to expose for the effect that you want.
Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)

[newbie101]

thank you!