How do you get subtle highlights like these?

Post from Strobist:
http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …r-mobleys-birmingham.html

I want to be able to get the real subtle highlights like you see on the person's fingers. I've read the lighting setup, but I'm not getting how to accomplish this look with other subjects. I want the immediate raised area of photos to have a bit of a highlight and have an immediate fall off into shadows. How do I acheive this with lighting?

You don't achieve it with lighting. The lighting on his fingers were done in post.....
There are many ways to do it, not sure how he did it, but I would do it like this:
Let's say that you have done all of the post processing that you are going to do on the image as a WHOLE has been done. Then I would make and Curves Adjustment Layer and use it to lighting (as in make it brighter) the image, paying particular attention to the fingers ONLY. Once you got the fingers the way you want them, then put a mask on that Curves Adjustment Layer. Then simply paint back in the fingers ONLY.....