The best camera/lens combo in the world will not produce the best photos if you don't know how to use it. In order to improve your photography you must practice but in order to make your practice you must supplement it with some form of education. Depending on that way your brain was wired some prefer listening to someone explain others need to read at their own pace. Whichever method you prefer here are a few resources to get you started.
Books
I am very visual and get bored or lost easilly if the speed of a lecture matches my though process so I tend to lean towards Books. The downfall with this is it's very tough to get feedback and receiving critiques on your practice is an important part of the learning process so you should complement your books by either joining a club or hanging out with some friends that are better photographers than you if you have the luxury to know any. Here are a few good books to get you started. I've linked you to amazon for your convenience, but feel free to pick them up at your local bookstore.
Magazines
Magazines are what I like to consider the sisters of the books. They don't cover the basics as much as the books do but they keep you up to date with advances, product reviews, spotlights and tips and tricks on specific techniques. I believe magazines are a must for any serious photographer. As with all magazines subscribing is always much cheaper, but the cheapest is if you can find them in your local library. Here are a few of my favorites.
Websites
Sticking with the familly analogy where magazines where the sisters of books, websites are the cousins of magazines. There is a lot of information on the internet that can be found that can be as recent as magazines or could be older than books. The big difference between the web and magazines is the editorial process. You know that you can pretty much trust magazines and books, but remember that pretty much anyone with access to a computer can put up a website so you don't always know how accurate what you see is. I still find that the internet offers a lot to the photographer.
Courses
There is probably no better place to learn than by taking a course. There are a huge range of courses available from your local camera shop, local specialized schools, clubs, colleges and many online resources. Listing your local resources is beyond the scope of this site, instead I will list what I believe to be the best online schools.
Clubs
For those of you who don't have access to any pro photographers for tips and even for those that have you can always do with more. This is where clubs come in. They usually meet regularly, have a wide range of members, have outings, do critiques, offer contests and some even get discounts thanks to the power of numbers. The fees are usually nominal and the rewards high. Type into google your city and photo club and you'll see what pops up.
