The smile of a person is likely the first thing that others see. Therefore, it makes sense to have whiter teeth. Too white teeth can be distracting. If the only thing you see in an image is the teeth, it’s too white! However, when we retouch a photo of a model or fashion model’s photograph, we don’t whiten the teeth in a family portrait.
To bring the image up to 100%, open the image and press Command-1 (PC Control-1) or double-click the Zoom Tool. The upper left corner (the whitest) of the Color Picker should be selected. Next, select Brush Tool B. Adjust the Hardness to anywhere from 0-20% and the Size to the same Size as the tooth. (We made the Size smaller for the front and more significant for the back). The Opacity can be adjusted to 18%.
Use the Brush Tool to brush each tooth one at a while quickly. The lower teeth in this example are well-lit and visible. We will, therefore, also cover the lower teeth. (The lower teeth are usually in the shadow of the upper ones, so it is not natural to whiten the lower teeth as well as the upper.
If you feel the teeth need to be whiter (which we did in this instance), go back to each tooth again. You can go back and do it again with a higher Opacity. We prefer to whiten in stages to control the amount of white used. To fix a mistake, you can use the History Brush tool.
Choose the Clone Stamp tool S at 30% Opacity to clean any discolorations or bright light reflections on your teeth and gums. Personal preference will dictate whether light reflections are allowed on the gums and teeth. We eliminated all reviews in the first example. The History Brush Tool was used to bring back thoughts at 30% Opacity and 0% Hardness in the second example.
Zoom in to see more of the face. Click at the History Window’s top to view the image as it was when you opened it. Next, click on the last bar of the History Window. Go back and forth several times to see the “Before” and “After” bars. You must click on the History Window’s last bar, which is highlighted again. Otherwise, you will delete everything on the History Panel. Are the teeth looking better? If so, are they still natural? To restore some of the original looks, you can use the History Brush Tool at 30% Opacity if they seem overdone.
A smile can make a photo more interesting. It is up to you and your subject how much whitening you do. Models’ teeth will likely be perfect, while family portrait smiles will only require brightening and removing distractions. Say cheese!