How to get this lighting feel?

[bazooka]

http://www.millermobley.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/20101118_GGMobilePortrait_1434.jpg

I've seen other photographers use this effect and I can't figure it out by looking at it if it's a result of the light or a result of PP. It almost seems like it's a painting.

So it looks like he has a hard snoot pointed at his forehead/brow but the fill light is soft and seems to be coming from above, almost like open shade. Does anyone see the quality that I'm talking about and how is it done? I've admired it for a while with other images, I just haven't gotten around to asking how it's done.

 

[D-B-J]

Slightly underexpose everything, and then a hard snoot on the face. That's what it seems like to me.

 

[Derrel]

It could be a snooted light aimed at his face. Could also be 4-way barndoors. Might also be a honeycomb grid, like a 7 degree one, just outside of the picture area. Another thought: the background appears to have some kind of horizontal light pattern projected on it, as if maybe some type of cookie is being positioned between the subject and a light unit, so as to project a "pattern" on the wall.

What I find distracting is that big, bright, specular highlight on the guy's watchband...it REALLY stands out, and looks out of place, in the deep shadowed areas where his arms and hands have been placed...makes me think the "shadows" have been artificially created in Post, and that there is a LARGE light source out of the frame, to the camera right side.

 

[spacefuzz]

It could be a snooted light aimed at his face. Could also be 4-way barndoors. Might also be a honeycomb grid, like a 7 degree one, just outside of the picture area. Another thought: the background appears to have some kind of horizontal light pattern projected on it, as if maybe some type of cookie is being positioned between the subject and a light unit, so as to project a "pattern" on the wall.

What I find distracting is that big, bright, specular highlight on the guy's watchband...it REALLY stands out, and looks out of place, in the deep shadowed areas where his arms and hands have been placed...makes me think the "shadows" have been artificially created in Post, and that there is a LARGE light source out of the frame, to the camera right side.

I dunno to me with the watch catching the highlights it looks like the shot was underexposed. Wouldnt you think if he darkened everything in post he would have put some attention toward the watch?

 

[KmH]

The angle of the watch band and the reflection on it indicate there is at least one fairly large but dim light source low and camera left.

I suspect some dodge and burn was also done on the photo.

You can get a sense of how high above him the light on his face is from the shadows cast, like by his hair line.

 

[GeorgieGirl]

HDR in pp???

 

[Robin Usagani]

My guess is adjustment brush and some other stuff.

 

[bazooka]

Thank you everyone for your responses.

Interesting note on the watch, I didn't notice the reflection. Here is another image of his that has a similar feeling to it....

Miller Mobley Photography | New York City

The eyes have a strange brilliant and sharp quality about them. I also notice that these two images are basically lit the same way... hard, tight key light, with a soft but directional fill light, or perhaps multiple levels of fill coming from different directions. I just wonder if this look can be achieved with light only, or if it requires some post?

 

[bazooka]

And this one... his left eye is really popping even though there doesn't seem to be any light on it...

Miller Mobley Photography | New York City

And his skin has a sort of plastic artificial quality.... it just seems impossible to get this without pp, but I'm hoping someone can tell me it is possible.

 

[bazooka]

Bump... hoping someone can provide additional input.

 

[jcolman]

looks like a simple burn and dodge in PS. You burn in the face with a soft brush and darken the rest. The image appears to have been processed in Lightroom using the clarity slider quite a bit.

 

[Bynx]

There are so many programs for post processing and ways to do the same thing. Asking how something and you end up with each persons opinion. The photo is very well done having a tricky lighting and exposure and probably not processed by a simple click and slide. The overall exposure is perfect.

 

[KmH]

Shadows from the lights usually indicate where a light was positioned. The sharpness, or lack of sharpness, of shadow edges indicate the apparent size of the light source too.

 

[Workman]

Check out this post on strobist.com it is a similar shot in which miller details the technique used. Strobist: On Assignment: Miller Mobley's Birmingham Chaplain

 

[GeneralBenson]

Looks to me like two light sources lighting his face, once broad and soft, one small and hard. The nose kind of looks like it has two shadows. the main, hot light on his face/forehead is way to hard to be responisble for the gradual shadow transition on the shadow side of his face and the gradual light falloff towards his lower body. So there is something relatively soft and medium sized which is providing a low level of light. Then there is clearly something small and hard hitting his face from a pretty close distance. Most likely a snoot or a grid, as has been mentioned.

Also, if trying to achieve this look, don't forget to have you subject stand there like a corpse, with squared, slumped shoulders, and limp arms, and then stare off into nothing with a blank face. I think the lighting is pretty nice and well executed, but the pose and expression are awful.