This is probably one of the most technically difficult images I've ever captured. There is not compositing in this photo!

I used two Broncolor Siros 800S to light the scene.

For the mirror, I used a special beauty dish called a Mola directly in front of and above the model in front of the yellow backdrop.

For the part of the photo that is taking up the majority of screen space, I used no softbox, just the built-in reflector to focus the light forward.

Just off camera is two strips of cinefoil/blackwrap so that the hard light on the backdrop has beautiful shadows but not the subjects!

The mirror was a dollar store mirror I shattered to get this shot

The skull is a REAL Mayan skull - owned by the hand model

Directing a hand to point at JUST the right part of the face, while directing a model to look at the mirror, while neither of them can see the correct perspective was ROUGH