Here’s how to always get perfect lighting for all your pictures

Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider

If you want to master photography, there are many simple tricks you can use to stepup your photo game, even if you're only shooter is your cell phone.

Often times, all you're trying to do is get a good picture of someone. Maybe it's a selfie. Maybe it's your friend. But the most important thing is that it looks good.

When a fancy portrait photographer has a celebrity in the studio to shoot a magazine cover, they surround their subjects with expensive lights. But you can do that outdoors or at home — if you know where to shoot.

Here are the best places to go if you want to take a great picture.

In a studio, a photographer works to surround a person with soft, even light.

Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider

Bounced light works much better than direct light for this — that's the point of those big umbrellas.

Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider

In the real world, the shade on a sunny day is the best place for this — light bounces from all over the sunlit places onto your subject's face.

Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider

It's a much better option than any direct light, which creates distracting shadows under the eyes.

A photo posted by Rafi Letzter (@rletzter)Jan 5, 2016 at 7:23pm PST

In the shade, the shadows behind your subject create a nice contrast to make details pop.

Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider

Of course, you're not always outside on a sunny day. When indoors, window light is your best bet.

Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider

Turn the lights off in a room, and a window will act like a big box of soft light. The bigger the better.

Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider

At night, of course, that isn't an option. But big, wide lights like a store window from the street will do the trick.

A photo posted by Rafi Letzter (@rletzter)Dec 11, 2015 at 9:45pm PST