How do you achieve that black/transparent look in photoshop?

Question

How do you achieve this look:

Thanks!

Answer 1

Create the Background color and the Main Image layer. Click the Main Image layer thumbnail holding Cmd Mac or Ctrl Win to load the transparency selection and copy it.

Make a Fill Color layer

Click the Fill Color layer mask holding Alt to see its content

With the selection active, paste

Cmd + I Mac or Ctrl + I Win to invert. Click the Color Fill thumbnail and hid the Main Image layer.

Click the mask and apply levels: reduce midtones increasing shadows and highlights

Work process

Result

_{Original image from unsplash.com}