How Do I Get Pictures Like This?

Question: How Do I Get Pictures Like This!?

I have photoshop and picasa!. I was just wondering how do I get a Black and White picture darker like this:

http://i31!.tinypic!.com/34soto2!.png

As opposed to this:

http://i26!.tinypic!.com/2zrl545!.jpg

And how do I get a picture to have this type of effect!?

http://i25!.tinypic!.com/11tsk1x!.jpg

Note: I do not know any of these people, these are just examples that I got off of photobucket!.

Any information will help!. Thanks so much =]Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Here is the simplest way to do these:

For B&W
Image Adjustment> Hue/Saturation and take the Saturation slider to the far left (-100%)

This will give you basic black and white!. You can adjust the brightness a little in this menu but if you want the really dark blacks then!.!.!.

Image Adjustment> Levels!.
You will see a histrogram with a Black, Grey, and White little triangle!. Adjust the black triangle to the right to move the "black point!."

By moving it to the left edge of the graphed points you will make what was black in the scene actually be black!.

If you continue to slide it more to the right you will make more and more pixels that were not originally black turn black!.

For the third picture!.!.!. use the Highlight/Shadow menu!.
Increase the Highlights and darken the shadows just a touch!.

OF course there are more sophisciated PS techniques!.!.!. but this is a great placefor you to start from!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

somtimes there are ptions that has a scroll tab that you can choose as to how dark/light your pictures come out!.

as for the last one with the girl,
that's the HUE!. There should be a tab as to how
high/low you want the colors to show!. also,
sometimes you have to play with the contrast as well!./Www@QuestionHome@Com

Photoshop CS3 has option for u to increase blacks of a raw image!. That is most effective!. But if u shoot in jpg mode, just go to saturation!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

lightingWww@QuestionHome@Com

play with the brightness/contrastWww@QuestionHome@Com