Looking for a one-light setup that casts a beautiful set of shadows on the face, is sufficient to illuminate the torso as well (while keeping the right prominence on the face, and softly illuminates the background as well?
If so, I may have the right answer for you; the only caveat is that this setup is relatively expensive because it requires a large modifier (I used a 90x110cm Elinchrom softbox) and a stand sturdy enough to keep the light hanging above your subject (a boom arm then). It is otherwise easy to set and use and simply consists of a large softbox hanging flat, parallel to the ground or lightly tilted towards the subjects, hanging a few centimetres above the subject and a few centimetres in front of the subject (between subject and camera). The background is about 1 m behind the subject and the light creates a nice gradation on it.
