Seeking advice for dark "feel" in landscapes

I am currently shooting alot of film and working on a series of landscapes. Well they are actually more like cityscapes.

I have a certain look that I am trying to achieve but do not know how to achieve it. below are links to some images with very dark grey skies, the images look bleak or foreboding.

http://www.flickr.com/​photos/baldyd/45935867​92/
http://www.flickr.com/​photos/gingercoo/72695​18244/
http://www.flickr.com/​photos/drudodd/8684315​064/

best example:
http://www.flickr.com/​photos/c-towner/6799590313/

i know most of us on here are digital only but maybe someone on here can give me advice on how to expose for this look. is it due to using ND filters? does it have to be overcast for this look? would an ND filter and a cloudless sky create this effect in midday?

I would appreciate any feedback, criticism, ideas as i don't know how to begin but my project is highly dependent on being able to produce this look.

i will be shooting this on a bronica 6x4.5 and processing at my school's lab hopefully to digital print to 40X30

maybe its as simple as requiring an overcast day? we have plenty of those down here.

The example you like best is long exposure -->
Clouds are in motion and lake becomes misty
A simple and effective tool
Get an nd filter (hi number) and use tripod

Cloudy day with movement in the sky coupled with a 10 stop ND filter and maybe a GND as well. Granted the subject matter has to fit as well.

it took me a second to remember it, but Cole Thompson does B&W like this and has a few posts over at the Singh Ray blog:http://singhray.blogsp​ot.com/search/label/Co​le%20Thompson

thanks for that link and the advice! i have done some research myself and it seems a yellow filter might also help darkening the sky some. i am not sure if i want the motion blur on all my shots thought it is a nice option to have, I am a fan of ansel adam's skies, where it wasn't so blatantly long exposure-ish but still very nicely contrasted.

If you want the sky to look foreboding, you need to wait for the weather to cooperate, it is that simple.

You can't really get a foreboding sky if it is bright blue with fluffy white clouds. You need rain/storm clouds with proper texture.

Bring in a sky from another photo via layers.

Thanks but I am shooting film and would like to stay as traditional as possible. I really only want to print these digitally without having to do anything more than levels/curves/contrast​.

Has anyone used a yellow filter during an overcast day? Does it do anything to the sky or is it just for bright blue days?

The processing on a lot of those reminds me of Infra Red. Maybe try experimenting with an IR filter? You will certainly get some interesting results.

oceanbeast wrote in post #15898002
I am a fan of ansel adam's skies, where it wasn't so blatantly long exposure-ish but still very nicely contrasted.

oceanbeast wrote in post #15899418
I really only want to print these digitally without having to do anything more than levels/curves/contrast​.

I'm afraid you may have opposing goals here. Ansel Adams gots his skies to be so expressive and contrasty through extensive post work in the darkroom (many hours of selective dodging and burning).

oceanbeast wrote in post #15898002
thanks for that link and the advice! i have done some research myself and it seems a yellow filter might also help darkening the sky some. i am not sure if i want the motion blur on all my shots thought it is a nice option to have, I am a fan of ansel adam's skies, where it wasn't so blatantly long exposure-ish but still very nicely contrasted.

Phrasikleia wrote in post #15909965
I'm afraid you may have opposing goals here. Ansel Adams gots his skies to be so expressive and contrasty through extensive post work in the darkroom (many hours of selective dodging and burning).

This and some serious work with the zone method to ensure he had maximum detail. Very careful choice of aperture and shutter speed combined with many hours printing and reprinting.

IIRC Adams didn't use filters as a rule.

He was also very selective with the images he decided to publish - IIRC he is attributed with the comment about "Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop"

underexpose a lot, then bring the contrast curve up. That's all I see in the examples you posted