How To: Convert photos to black and white in Adobe Photoshop

Open the picture you want to edit. Right-click on the main picture layer in the box and then select "Duplicate Layer". Then, in the same box, go to the drop-down menu that says normal, and change it to "Overlay". Then, select Filter>Other>High Pass. In the box that comes up, set the radius to 7.4 pixels. Next, go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Gradient Map. Then, when the box comes up, click OK. Then click on the main gradient in the Gradient Map. In the new box, there is a bar that goes from black to white. Click on the trianglar box under the black part of the bar, and bring it in a bit closer to the center, then do the same with the one under the white side. Click OK when you have it how you want it. Close the Gradient Map. Now, duplicate the first layer and put it on top. Set it to overlay once more. Now select Other>High Pass and change the pass to around 2.1 pixels. Now go to Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid Color and hit OK. Now make it a sepia color. Click on the drag-down menu that says normal in the layers menu and set it to Color. If it is too bright bring the opacity down (to about 20%). Now you should have a crisp black-and-white picture.