Going digital made a big difference to me. I started taking photos in earnest with a little Canon Powershot on a trip to Concord, Massachusetts and then a trip to London, England the following month. Having the ability to both review and delete photos I wasn't happy with gave me more confidence in trying out shots and thinking about setting up shots in different ways without feeling guilty about wasted film. Some of my favorite photos aren't so much about the thing that I have photographed, but in capturing some interesting symmetry, color, or texture or contrasts of the same.
Two years later, as I became more passionate and experienced, I purchased myself a Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera that came with a kit lens. I got to understand more about how the camera works and figuring out how to use the manual settings! (Which I don't use all the time, but I am now tending to use them more than the presets.) More recently, I have purchased a 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens as a walkaround lens (a bit more zoom than the kit lens has, but not as much macro; I do love macro) and a 50mm f/1.8 lens for portraits. As I have some shaking in my right hand from repetitive stress, I have image stablizing lenses, and they have definitely made a general improvement in my photography.
I host my photos on Flickr. Here are a few that I am particularly fond of:
