This episode is AWESOME Aaron! More episodes like this please. For one example from Annie Leibovitz’s images!

Great episode Aaron.

Aaron – excellent post and tutorial. Here is a link to a Flickr discussion about the exact same Dan Winters photo where Dan himself tells his story about making this amazing photo: http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157622852349159

Here is Dan’s note:
“To be honest with you don’t remember what I used to light that picture. Probably a profoto head with a grid, a chimera for fill, some flags and a head on background. The picture was shot on a set that we built at at smashbox studios in Culver city. When I started on this particular photograph I had already gone into overtime and Tom’s publicist was giving me the evil eye. I was messing around with the lighting while he was in position and he noticed her snarling at me. Under his breath he said to me, “take your time”. A gesture like this can really diffuse stress while working under pressure. Tom is a total pro and is well versed at the difficulties in achieving subtle lighting. The same lighting could be achieved using many different types of equipment. Truthfully, with patience and care, it could be achieved using clip lights from Home Depot with 100 watt bulbs, some neutral density filters, some flags and stands. I usually think about the kind of lighting that I want and then think about the best way to approach it on that day. My lighting approach is pretty intuitive. After 25 years as a professional the mystery has abated somewhat but the wonderment is still very much there. One of my great pleasures in life is lighting portraits. I recently went to Hawaii to do a shoot of Eminem and Dre for packaging. When we landed ,
I drove to Home Depot and bought some clip lights, bulbs and some flat white spray paint. I sprayed the inside of the reflectors white, bought some extension cords and went to the recording studio. I had my assistant had hold the lights and I lit the whole shoot in this manner. The real trick to lighting is understanding the physical properties of light. When you really understand them, your only obstacle is your voice, which is infinitely more difficult to master than any lighting set up. thanks for sharing your work. some of it is really beautiful.
Best of luck,
Dan”

Wow, one of the best episodes I’ve seen, showing the entire process (except for the actual shooting of the photograph). Great stuff, highly informative and equally inspiring. Thank you!
Btw, I’d love to see an ep on interaction with the model during a shoot. That’s one of the most difficult things for me. I know it takes practice and experience (not to mention natural born people skills), but any tips help!

Thank you Aaron.  I appreciate the effort put into this lesson.

Also, +1 to more Inspired By tutorials like this, including actual BTS setup footage if you would please.  I bet Annie L’s Keith Richards hotel portrait would get a lot of attention, for one example.

Great post, but have to admit I got lost when the blue channel copy adjustments started. Couldn’t seem to add the white and specularity the same way.