Light Reflection Questions...experts please help?

Hello All, This is my first post, so please forgive my ignorance to any other alike threads. I like many others wonder why we never see stars in any of the photographs of the space agencys of the world, but simple observation tells me that the lights are in the sky. As to "Space", I've never had 1st hand experience in "space", which is the only true way to judge something for yourself. That being said let me get to my main question. I have observed that in the pictures from the shuttle and various other sources, that when peering to the earth from space, the camera eye can see right through the atmosphere of the earth even to the land with great detail. In these pictures is usually a shuttle or station with the big blue earth behind surrounded by black space. Here is my question. Why is it that during the day we look up and see baby blue in-stead of a source of light in the dark that surrounds it, but from the shuttle or camara source you can see right to the surface. Simple observation tells me this is not right. If the atmosphere traps the light causing a baby blue atmosphere then why can observer from space see through the transparent atmosphere, but we on earth looking up see blue and not space with a big shinning light. Help I'm confused.

the blue in the sky is caused by light refracting in the atmosphere... it refracts to the baby blue color you see... and when the sun is low the angle of refraction changes so we red or yellow..

also we can't see into outer space (well i guess only the stars and bright stuff) because of the flood of light.. just like you cant see the stars in the city cause to much light pollution.