High quality camera for amateurs to take 'model photos'?

My friend is a starter model who wants to post her photos (that she doesn't have yet) in her portfolio on ModelMayham.com She kindly asked me if I take pictures of her, but I do not have even close to a good camera to deliver those high quality shots.

Are there any type of amateur friendly cameras that'll serve the purpose? I don't know much about the technical side of taking pictures besides aperture, zoom, pixelation, ISO, and a few other points to it, but I learn quick. I was looking at Nikon D40s and D80s, which looked to be $700 and that was okay, until I found out a separate lense that adds to the camera is $1400! What camera can deliver the results I'm looking for that's pretty affordable and user friendly? I was hoping to achieve the effect and quality of portrait type photos such as these:

Can anybody direct me to anything that might help me?

PS: I'm not trying to master anything else besides portrait/modeling shots and I'm in no way attempting to make money off the photos I want to take. This is only to help my friend.

If you can find a good used Nikon D40 camera and a good used 24-85 mm lens, you can get started doing what you want.

The first image you linked us to involves a lot more post production than the results of good lighting, composition, model direction and using your camera intuitively.

The other two are probably just straight shots.

With the above tools, try emulating the photos you see on sites like Model Mayhem or One Model Place.

I don't know where you shop but $700 for a d40 is insanity.

The examples you posted you can do with just about any DSLR and a 50mm f1.8 lens. The trick here is some studio lighting, photography skills and know how to process a shot

A used D40 body+ kit lens goes for around $300 on my local craigslist. Get an extra AFS 50mm f/1.8G for portraits and you're good to go.

Repeat after me… IT IS NOT THE CAMERA, IT IS THE PHOTOGRAPHERS SKILLS.

to take good quality pictures, of anything, you need to know about photography.
For good model images you need to know about lighting as much (or more than) as you do about the camera controls.

If you don't know how to light the scene properly then you will NOT get good "high quality" images.