I want to take up photography?

I've always been interested in photography, and I've only used regular digital cameras. I was wondering which is a better brand to get, Nikon or Canon? Also I'd like my camera to have a screen that you can view the pictures on afterwords. Kinda like a digital camera, but with different lenses, and I would like it to be able to focus on different aspects of a picture, like the background/subject. I also want to be able to upload the pictures on my laptop.

Nikon and Canon are as good as each other overall. Each makes equally excellent lenses at the same price points, and each makes DSLRs with the same technical quality in each format. The differences lie in ergonomics and how well each camera handles, which is what allows you to get your photo - or miss it forever. Anyone who tries to tell you that one brand or the other is significantly better than the other in basic quality is either an idiot, or a retail salesman who's getting a bigger spiff from one or the other that week.

Did you know that Nikon is one of the world's leading makers of professional laboratory microscopes, often beating out Zeiss and Leitz? Nikon also makes the million-dollar lenses and mechanical steppers used in semiconductor manufacture. They have a 37% market share. These lenses and mechanics resolve at 45 nanometers, or less than one-tenth of a wavelength of visible light. That's over 10, 000 lines per millimeter! See Nikon Precision.

i recommend nikon

Both brands are really good it's more of preference…
The thing is which ever you choose you kinda need to run with full on after.
If you buy a Nikon you need to get all Nikon accessories which after dropping hundreds-thousands of dollars it's hard to make a change to canon and same way reversed.
The more expensive the better quality. I would say a decent camera that can do what your asking would be a Nikon D90 cost about 1000$
Lenses most likely you would have to buy separately and can even costs just as much or even more than the body of the camera. It's can get pretty expensive but if you really love it its worth putting the investment if you can afford it.
All cameras should be able to upload pics to a computer. A lot use the common SD cards until you get into the pro cameras.
This is the photography company i work for.

Well cool, photography is a great thing to do. Canon and Nikon are pretty much the same thing. As long as you say away from Olympus you'll be fine. You're looking for a DSLR. It's digital, it has the screen on the back, and he lenses are interchangeable.

You are describing a D-SLR camera. See link below for the wiki. A Digital Single Lens Reflex.

Just a note - don't feel that you have to stick to those two brands, there are other brand choices including for example, Pentax, Sony, and Fujifilm.

Look for an entry level model. Don't go spending too much on a high end model - that will not compensate for your lack of skill or knowledge. Save some money to buy a decent lens instead (most D-SLR cameras come with a cheap zoom lens fitted called a 'kit lens'. They are not the best).

You have lots to learn, it is an interest that grows over the years.