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If you're looking to emulate the style of this photographer, I would suggest finding one of his photographs which you like and looking into the reflection of the model's eye to determine what kind of lighting setup was used. I looked at a couple of his pictures and noticed that he frequently uses ring lights and giant softboxes, which are actually the norm for fashion photography.

If you don't have access to this equipment, a softbox (which was originally created to mimic window light) can be simulated by setting your model in front of a large window with lots of light shining through (not direct sunlight).

The idea of beauty portraits is to eliminate shadows on the face with lots of light (to mask skin defects). Again, this is most easily done with the use of a large window. You may also help the effect by using white sheets or poster boards to reflect light into your model's face. The eliminated shadows are then replaced by the strategic use of makeup to accentuate cheekbones, etc.

Referring again to Marcelo Benfield's work, you can tell that Photoshop has become a major step in the process of beauty photography. For example, http://grouper.com/video/MediaDetails.aspx?id=1687033

Regarding the camera, a large aperture is typically used with the focus set on the reflection in the model's eyes. The ears are usually out of focus as a result. Finally, this type of image is generally shot with a slightly telephoto lens (~70mm on a 35 mm camera). Using a normal or wide angle would introduce perspective into the photograph, making the nose appear too big and the ears too small.

E-mail me with your questions. I always enjoy a conversation about photography.