What makes the light on this face so evenly distributed? Lighting reverse engineer please!

https://500px.com …rgei-sarakhanov?from=user

https://500px.com …rgei-sarakhanov?from=user

https://500px.com …rgei-sarakhanov?from=user

Photo of hot light being used: https://500px.com …rgei-sarakhanov?from=user

I can't seem to figure out how to get this kind of lighting though I've tried getting a 5' photek softlighter (reflective umbrella) just out of frame and throwing the majority of the light in front of the subject to "feather" it. I'm about 80% close but still can't seem to figure out how the light across the face is so even and smooth. Mine has some shinier/sparklier highlights across the face which I would like to even out like in the examples.

The photographer is using 400ISO film and has other pictures that show use of hot lights, which in my experience something like an Arri fresnel gives out a very smooth light even with just barn doors on. It's hard to tell from the catchlight what exactly what used. If anyone has done this exact kind of lighting before, please offer some insight - thank you!

My guess is a beauty dish. There's nothing soft about the light he used. Either that or a fresnel, as you pointed out.

moodlover wrote in post #17566380
Mine has some shinier/sparklier highlights across the face which I would like to even out like in the examples.

put some powder/make up on your model's face.

photos show a small light source, i could imagine something like a 7" reflector, maybe with a sock, placed very close to the subject

There seems to be a larger source in the eye reflection of the third link, like a beauty dish. That light in the fourth link is behind the subject and probably lighting the wall background. This gives no indication of the main light source on the faces. The main source seems to be large and direct, I'd suspect a grid but it does not seem to be reflected in the eyes. I also would suspect some heavy dodging and burning in post, but the original images are very good

moodlover wrote in post #17566380
Photo of hot light being used: https://500px.com …rgei-sarakhanov?from=user

Understand that just because the light is on in the picture doesn't mean it's a hot light, or a continuous light at all.

drvnbysound wrote in post #17568661
Understand that just because the light is on in the picture doesn't mean it's a hot light, or a continuous light at all.

Actually it was a very good clue. Usually lights with barndoors are hot lights (not always, but usually).

I've contacted the photographer and he said he used a continuous light (halogen, 1000w) like a Raylab Xenos and a silver umbrella. Does anyone know what light is similar to this because it doesn't seem to be available for sale anywhere. I also thought a silver umbrella would give very specular highlights and hotspots so this is confusing for me.

Based on the images I get from a Google search, there's nothing to these lights:

http://club.foto.ru/ca​mera/model.php?mod_id=​1642

Any monolight with an umbrella reflector would do it. Heck, you could even use a standard bowl reflector and a diffusion panel.

As someone mentioned above, the specular reflections can be minimised with make-up and/or asking your subjects to wipe their face prior to the photographs being made.