You can create high contrast black and white images easily in Photoshop by using Threshold from the Adjustments panel (screenshot below). It just takes a few seconds, here's how... From the Adjustments panel, choose Threshold. Adjust the slider as shown below in the second screenshot left or right to create high contrast with your image. You can see the before and after below. (I filled in part of the Mask just so you could see the impact on the same picture). All you need to do is choose Threshold, and tweak the slider, that's it!  You can do a little touch up work if needed. I recommend using Photoshop's Oil Paint filter afterward to smooth out any jagged pixels and create a hand painted look. These zebras were photographed in the wild in Tanzania. You can try this on zebras a little closer to home in a zoo. Have fun in Photoshop!