Useing a normal camera what is the best lighting to use to get professional looking pictures?

Use natural light whenever available. In the early mornig from sunrise for about an hour and evening about an hour before dusk it is called "magic hour". Sunlight will be from the side and not directly overhead. Shadows will be less and the sun will give off a cooler orange/gold light temperature. Shoot with your Subject facing the sun. Use the cameras highest quality setting and experament with different settings and depth of fields(closer to the subject, with the backround behind the subject out of focus and a few steps back from the subject to allow the backround to be more in focus). Start with auto setting. Auto can be your best friend or worst enemy. Try using the scene select most cameras come with. Set it on landscape. Try angels other that strait on the subject, looking up at and looking down on the subject.
For indoor shots use the most light you can get.(turn all the light in the room on and still use the flash. For a studio look try for lots of lights.. lets say a regular 60 watt bulb is at a temperature of 1000 degrees. the cameras flash shoots at 3000 to 5000 degrees.. so add 3 or 4 60 watt bulbs and you will be in prety good shape. If the camera flash is auto and is over powering the shot. try a peice of surgeons tape ormasing tape gently placed over the flash.. when it fires instead of bright over powering light it will take some of the flash power away.

The best lighting to use is, of course, natural lighting. But it really depends on what kind of picture you want to take. For me, the POSITIONING of the lighting is more important that lighting itself.

Usually, you would want to take pictures with either the light behind you, so that it lights up your subject (providing the subject is staring right at the camra, which, frankly does not make good looking pictures), or the light to your side, and the subject turning and facing the light. Hope this helps, but you question is't very descriptive

Natural light outdoors with the sun behind you.
But honestly, any situation or setting can be made to look "professional" with the right experience. If you are outside and it seems too dim, use a large white poster board on the ground in front of your subject to help reflect and strengthen natural light. If you are indoors, always put the light source behind YOU, not your subject. Don't use a flash unless you have to on compact cameras - that always makes your shots look cheap. If you absolutely have to use the flash, subdue it with a cloth or lampshade.

Natural light can be nice but can also be a pain in the butt. Getting even lighting without harsh shadows is difficult, unless you luck out and are shooting on a hazy day.

If shooting outside, and I'm not using a flash, I would camp in shade and use a reflector. You need someone to assist you, but a reflector lets you light the face a bit, giving it some pop.

Natural light is always good. To me, early morning or late afternoon light, when the angle of the sun is low, provides wonderful character to photographs. When the sun is high overhead, your pictures will come out harsh, even over-exposed, and they never look as nice.

Try taking photographs when the lighting is soft. So Spring and autumn, early morning late afternoon or on overcast days or days with plenty of white clouds to throw some reflected light into shadow areas.

Nick

Natural light coming in through a north facing window on a over cast day is best. To make the photo look professional use some type of background and posing your subject so they look natural and their best.

sunlight and automatic flash

that depends on alot of things...inside or out?
sunny, rainy, day or night

no it does not