B+W portrait, close up , very sharp.

[Usernameuser]

You know those photos of a face, black and white, very sharp, crisp and almost 3 dimensional? is there a technique to get these shots?
Edit to add, usually hairy or wrinkly faces seem to be best for this type of shot.

 

[Gav.]

Good light/lighting angles. Nailing the focus with enough DOF to cover the face.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Side lighting is the key - that way, even the slightest dent in the skin throws a clear shadow.

 

[woof woof]

This is not really on topic but maybe something to consider...

Years ago I had a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 and at that time it was probably the sharpest lens I'd ever had. I took a picture of my then GF with it on my Canon 20D DSLR and when I saw the result I was shocked and I realised that a picture can perhaps be so sharp that it's unflattering for pictures of your GF Since then I haven't really worried about sharpness and I do think that for some pictures less sharpness can lead to a more pleasing picture

 

[Deleted member 95743]

You know those photos of a face, black and white, very sharp, crisp and almost 3 dimensional? is there a technique to get these shots?
Edit to add, usually hairy or wrinkly faces seem to be best for this type of shot.

Do you mean the Dragan Effect?

 

[The23rdman]

Post a link to an example.

 

[Phil V]

This will be a combination of hard light and aggressive processing.

The processing alone on a soft lit image won’t work, and the lighting alone probably won’t give you quite the look.