Natural light is all you need. Sometimes.

I do a lot of portrait work and use portrait lighting setups. It helps to be able to specifically control how much light, where it falls, etc. But sometimes natural light works best. If you're taking your own portraits here are a couple of tips: 1. Stand your subject next to a window. The light shining in will be very diffused and blanket your subject in perfect light. 2. Have your subject stand in an open doorway. The door makes a perfect frame for your subject and if the light is coming from behind it will have a nice backlit effect, if it's coming from the front you can easily move the subject back or forward to get the lighting you need. You won't need expensive equipment and you'll get amazing shots.