Grunge Black and White Look

[Shanksta]

How can I take an image os someone on a white background and make something like this:

http://www.caratuleo.com/m/madonna_-_american_life_(2003)-front.jpg

Thanks

 

[barehug]

404 on the page link (yes, I copied and pasted).
Can you descibe the look you want to achieve?

Moe: It could have been a real ugly situation, but luckily I managed to shoot him in the spine.

 

[Shanksta]

LINK:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00008S2VG.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I just cant seem to get as clean a b/w as that

 

[miahmiah900]

What do you mean by clean? The image you linked to looks very washed out, either by lighting when the photo was taken, or contrast / levels adjustment, or both. You can also use gaussian blur and unsharp mask to achieve a "smoothing" effect with black and white images.

 

[signal49]

If it were me, I'd also play with channels and their curves and use the history brush to bring detail back into spots that get lost...

 

[barehug]

Try what Signal49 said; also for try adjusting the Selective Colour tool - Image>Adjustments>Selective Colour - the black, white and neutrals.

Moe: It could have been a real ugly situation, but luckily I managed to shoot him in the spine.