I've played with lighting in the past and have created lighting that I liked, but not until I'd gone through a lot of trial and error and accidental successes. So I'd like to learn from some of you guys.

I'm doing an outdoor scene, and I'm trying to replicate or mimick the kind of lighting and shadows that you'd see on a clear day around noon. The viewer won't actually see the sun.

Before I go too far, I wanted to get some input from you guys who have likely already learned from the same mistakes I'm about to make if I don't ask . . . did that make sense? Anyway, what's your take? Given what I described, what types of light(s) would you start with, what settings would you suggest starting with?

I realize there are a million and one ways to light a scene and a lot of it is based entirely on the unique vision that one artist might have vs another. I just wanted to get some guidance from you guys that have experience with this before I start barrelling down my own path.

Any tricks or tips?