Photoshop help

[UndertheRadar]

Hey guys,
Can you guys give me an idea of how to create something like the pic below. I'm ok with photoshop but can't seem to keep much of the detail when using the curves.
Thanks

 

[Claytoniss]

I would go to image/adjustment/threshold. Play around to desired effect, then mess around with blurs. There is a lot of ways to do this. Just play around in the effects, but there is a start for you...

 

[Blue Velvet]

Resample the image you have to a higher resolution like 600ppi and try using Threshold on it. Image>Adjustments>Threshold. The higher res should prevent obvious jaggies. A manual clean-up is then sometimes necessary to weed out stray marks...

If the tonal values are too close to get enough contrast, then you might need to do some work with curves first.

 

[Father Jack]

This high contrast "soot & whitewash" type of image is never going to have much detail anyway ...

 

[UndertheRadar]

Thanks guys. This is what I have so far. I'ts for my film that by the way was edited with FCS.

 

[tsd]

You take a high enough resolution image, and use the Stamp Filter in Photoshop, playing around with the settings until you've got that stencil-look with the people. Then you would place them over the toned background and add your text.

Or, in Illustrator, you would place the image(s) of the people, and use Live Trace, adjusting the parameters to be black and white, and play around with it until it looks like you want it to. Then, you would draw a colored square, and place it behind the images, add your text, and you're done.