Is this photoshop effect or natural

[chapster]

Can anyone have a look at this link and explain how this photographer got this amazing look.
http://andrzejdragan.com/
Click on Portfolio then personal and there are a bunch of amazing head shots of incredible character faces. What I don't understand is how he got this effect. Some of these shots almost look like paintings. Can anyone explain how to get this look or is it some serious photoshop work. I really hope not as its beautiful.

[cosworth]

Stupendous amounts of photoshop with great lighting.

[Woolburr]

Mostly Photoshop....in fact...you can find the Dragan Action for PS HERE. (http://atncentral.com/download.htm)

[sugarzebra]

Even still very good work....the shot of the girl with anorexia is particularly disturbing yet perfectly captured.

[chapster]

Ah thanks guys especially Woolburr for the action link. I am going to download it in the morning and try and use it. I still think the photographer Andrzej Dragan is a extremely talented guy. His lighting and use of subject is amazing. Very talented guy. Thanks again guys for the insight on how this is done.

(http://andrzejdragan.com/)

[codex0]

I experimented a bit with my own interpretation of his "look," but never went quite as far (extreme) as he did with it. Most of it can be done with lighting; the effect can be had with surprisingly little photoshop. That isn't to say that I didn't use a lot of photoshop; I was a lot worse at lighting then than I am now. I haven't done any in a while, but here are some of the images I worked on when I did play with his style :

http://www.codex0.info/photo/albums/userpics/10001/por08.jpg

http://www.codex0.info/photo/albums/userpics/10001/por06.jpg

http://www.codex0.info/photo/albums/userpics/10001/por01.jpg

[StealthLude]

most impressive link/portfolio

[chapster]

Codex0 not bad for just lighting. It would be nice to see the images without the use of Photoshop to see how close you got it. You started off by saying you used very little PS, just lighting but then you ended up saying you used quite a bit of PS. Can you show us the images just as they were straight from the shot with no PS work done on them, to show how close one can get this effect without using PS.

Also if you can explain the lighting set up positions to subject, how many lights, what diffusers and the lighting settings as in F/stops

Thanks for posting your old shots they look good, even if you say you are better now at lighting looks like you did ok back then too.
Nice work.