Dark, shadowy portraits

[CollisionKisses]

Hi! I've been asked to take some publicity photos for our amateur school production, and they've sent me this photo as an idea of what they want:

I don't have a studio or anything since I'm an amateur myself, but I wondering how you'd go about shooting something like this? I know it's a lot of post-processing, but any ideas would be really helpful.

 

[theurbanclown]

That's pretty nasty, but if that's what they want then that's what they want.

Looks like a one light setup, maybe two. Just slightly to camera left and camera right. The rest is lots of clarity and contrast in PP, followed by as much vignette as you feel like.

 

[symmetricalOCD]

is the play about a serial killer called Dr Lectar? very disturbing image!

to get this look just get photoshop, apply high pass filters and darken the edges with a vignette, it looks desaturated as well apart from that eye.

 

[posiview]

Rather like these. Very sinister and I do like the lighting.

For me, the eyes in the right need a bit more drama..as in expressive. They look a tad too passive for me. IYSWIM?

Cheers.