How to achieve this look

[Boneappetit]

I would like to know how to achieve this nice, crispy sharp look on B n W pictures. Thanx in advance for your feedback.

http://www.skye-images.co.uk/bw.html

[Tareq]

Can we ask you, which of those you like more? And why you can't get something similar?

I have many different B&W i did, maybe some of them you may like, in digital or film [i just started to shoot film this year], so would you like to see samples or would you mention which of those shots you like to get similar?

[Boneappetit]

Thanx a lot Tareq. I specially like the last one the one with the ship and the one with the castle. Well, I can get some of the effect but they don't look as good as those. If you have a couple of samples I'll be glad to work with them, I mean not commercially just as a hobby and my learning in Ps.

[Tareq]

OK, here are few samples for you, i can show more, two of them i used Silver Efex plugin and one with Alien Exposure B&W film option

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/1671/shot8bw.jpg
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9881/img7498bw.jpg
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1001/shot7bw.jpg

I may able to do that without plugins, but those plugins making it easier, and sometimes i may spend long time to manipulate for B&W and can't get closer to what i want, so with those filters just clicks i can see different results and i can go from there.

[Tareq]

Here is one shot done without plugins, just Photoshop "Calculations" adjustments.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8743/img8423bw.jpg

[Boneappetit]

Originally Posted by Tareq

Here is one shot done without plugins, just Photoshop "Calculations" adjustments.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8743/img8423bw.jpg

wow, very nice job on those portraits. Oh I see "Calculations".
Thanx

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by Boneappetit

wow, very nice job on those portraits. Oh I see "Calculations".
Thanx

You welcome!

[Boneappetit]

Originally Posted by Tareq

OK, here are few samples for you, i can show more, two of them i used Silver Efex plugin and one with Alien Exposure B&W film option

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/1671/shot8bw.jpg
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9881/img7498bw.jpg
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1001/shot7bw.jpg

My guess is that you used Silver Efex on the first two, or?

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by Boneappetit

My guess is that you used Silver Efex on the first two, or?

Yes correct, the first two with Silver Efex.

[Boneappetit]

Originally Posted by Tareq

Yes correct, the first two with Silver Efex.

I like those better. The one you did using Ps only is very good too...

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by Boneappetit

I like those better. The one you did using Ps only is very good too...

OK no problem, thank you very much!