I have a niece wanting to start in the world of photography and has $2k to spend.
There is not a photographer alive that wouldn't improve their art and commerce by NOT upgrading their equipment at every turn.
These forums, all camera forums and blogs have a lot of good useful content, but are essentially advertising carriers for the camera equipment industry and are usually gear centric in content and readership.
To learn photography in any genre, means putting the most interesting subject possible in front of your lens and the latest 36mpx camera won't change a boring subject, ugly lighting, or simple composition.
Knowing this, all you niece needs is three things, a camera, a lens and a tripod and the largest (not in megapixels but format) sensor you can afford.
Maybe a fourth, a decent flash that will mount off camera, or a continuous light like a 500 watt fresnel.
A larger format sensor like a FF canon gives you the opportunity to learn to move depth of field in the learning process.
I'd Canon like the original 5d or a 1ds because they're very inexpensive and the files will open in 6 year old software and those bodies can be bought for $500 to $600.
(FF Nikons came on the scene later, so a D3 or D700 is twice the price, so that's why I mention Canon).
In regards to lenses, most modern lenses, even on the low end are excellent. A 50mm 1.8 will cover most of what anyone would shoot and sells for $200.
If she buys a zoom, treat it as a prime. survey the scene, then think what lens you would need, say a 35 or a 75 and then set the lens at that focal length and gaffer tape it down so you don't start hunting.
This should put the total outlay to $1200 and allow for less stress, more thought and maybe even time to think about the image . . . and learn.
To me the tripod is the most important as it forces the novice to learn to previsualize the photograph rather than just shoot and hope.
Also producing sharp images with a tripod is much easier and an in focus 11 mpx photograph has twice the visual detail of a out of focus 40mpx camera.
Once the image is based out, you can always remove the camera from the tripod and find more interesting angles, but there is a difference between making a photograph and taking a photograph.
If taking a photograph is a goal, then a mobile phone is fine, if making a photograph is the plan then a older ff 35mm camera, a lens a tripod and a light will go a long way to learning how to really produce a photograph.
Study the masters as photography really is a new art, so what was produced 60 years ago is viable today.
Avedon, Art Kane, Bert Stern, Ansel Adams, Weston, the list is long, will go a long way to giving an aspiring student a base.
But don't discount mobile phone photography. Some beautiful work is being produced by the camera in a pocket, and the camera you have at the best moment, is the best camera.
IMO
BC