Out of curiosity which types of lighting do you prefer to use when rendering various scenes and why? For example, if it is a portrait style render do you prefer indirect lighting, IBLs, or something different? What about a scene with  just nature items like ground, rocks, trees, plants and other things of that sort? There many other types of scenes and I'm interested in knowing what you use and why? Or have you found a particular set you really really like and don't use anything else?

I see some pretty amazing renders that blow my mind away.

Hi there Really depends on more factors,usually I do render with Poser Firefly,but when I'm looking for bit better render then I do rather render with 3DS MAX 2014(EDU version) and V-RAY,there I can easily light scene without the single problem,in Poser depends on scene

But here are few renders

3DS MAX 2014 with V-RAY render(render took only 6 mins to render)

 Now few Poser Pro renders(In this scene I've used 2 suns and several point lights)

In this particular scene I've used only IDL soft boxes and one point light for shadows

In this scene I've used 2 infinite sun and one point light 

In this render I've used only IDL soft boxes with low Ambient value and one sun

Again in this render I've used only IDL soft boxes and one sun 

On this I've used only BB EnvSphere(textures are stock V4 with EZSkin applied)

And here are few interior renders(usually I do use 2 infinite lights with several point lights)

I would recommend to start with one infinite light and then adding more lights and I don't use IBL light as this doesn't work with Gamma Correction and I would add to end,I would use BB EnvSphere and if you not using Gamma Correction,please start,this will make yours life and lighting much easier 

Hope this helps

Thanks,Jura