diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Include/Atom/Feature/Utils/LightingPreset.h b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Include/Atom/Feature/Utils/LightingPreset.h
index f1d8337a35..e79dc6d29e 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Include/Atom/Feature/Utils/LightingPreset.h
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Include/Atom/Feature/Utils/LightingPreset.h
@@ -61,13 +61,14 @@ namespace AZ
             AZ_TYPE_INFO(AZ::Render::LightConfig, "{02644F52-9483-47A8-9028-37671695C34E}");
             static void Reflect(AZ::ReflectContext* context);
 
-            AZ::Vector3 m_direction = AZ::Vector3::CreateAxisY();
+            // Setting default direction to produce a visible shadow
+            AZ::Vector3 m_direction = AZ::Vector3(1.0f / 3.0f, 1.0f / 3.0f, -1.0f / 3.0f);
             AZ::Color m_color = AZ::Color::CreateOne();
             float m_intensity = 1.0f;
-            uint16_t m_shadowCascadeCount = 1;
-            float m_shadowRatioLogarithmUniform = 0.5f;
+            uint16_t m_shadowCascadeCount = 4;
+            float m_shadowRatioLogarithmUniform = 1.0f;
             float m_shadowFarClipDistance = 20.0f;
-            ShadowmapSize m_shadowmapSize = ShadowmapSize::Size1024;
+            ShadowmapSize m_shadowmapSize = ShadowmapSize::Size2048;
             bool m_enableShadowDebugColoring = false;
         };
 
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/Utils/LightingPreset.cpp b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/Utils/LightingPreset.cpp
index 77924b87a3..91ad31648b 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/Utils/LightingPreset.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Code/Source/Utils/LightingPreset.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ namespace AZ
             if (auto serializeContext = azrtti_cast<AZ::SerializeContext*>(context))
             {
                 serializeContext->Class<ExposureControlConfig>()
-                    ->Version(3)
+                    ->Version(4)
                     ->Field("compensateValue", &ExposureControlConfig::m_manualCompensationValue)
                     ->Field("exposureControlType", &ExposureControlConfig::m_exposureControlType)
                     ->Field("autoExposureMin", &ExposureControlConfig::m_autoExposureMin)