Portrait

So I've decided since the last issue of newspaper is about done and there's not many pressing assignments, I'm going to learn as many new techniques while I have the equipment and help to do so at the school. 

I've pinterested a ton of different things I've wanted to teach myself how to do, most of it being Photoshop work, but I at least need to sharpen my skills in the program. I took a basic portrait and edited it in color and black and white. This will be the base photo for all of my endeavors for the rest of the year that I attempt my new projects on. These are the photos:

ISO: 160

APERTURE: 13

SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200

This is the color picture of chosen and edited. I've gotten in a rut where I've started to edit my photos around a gritty, and dark contrasted style. I think it's pretty reflected in this "color" shot.

This is the exact same image with my black and white edit over it. The problem I've come to find is that if you like things really contrasted and to run up the clarity, then putting black and white filters over the image just makes it look like very muddy and theres not a lot of surface to it. It's basically just all black.