Styles
Film Noir Portraits in Black and White
Noir is a lighting decision before it is anything else. One hard source, no fill, and a willingness to let half the frame go completely black. Everything else, the smoke and the hat and the rain on the window, is decoration on top of that choice.
What it does to a photograph
Converts to black and white with the tonal curve of the period, crushing the shadows rather than lifting them, and relights you with a single hard key from the side. Slatted light across the face or wall is added where the composition takes it. Grain is film-weight rather than digital noise.
Which photo to use
This one is forgiving. Because the style discards colour and rebuilds contrast, a mediocre phone snapshot converts better here than in most styles. Front or three-quarter angle both work; three-quarter suits the shadow pattern better.
What people use it for
Author photographs, band and press shots, profile pictures with some weight to them, and anyone who wants a portrait that does not look like everyone else on the page.