One of the best things about photographing children is that, no matter how much control you think you have over a situation, you really never know what the final outcome is going to be.

Children = unpredictable.

Sometimes, when you’re expecting a smile, you get a frown.

When you think that you’re shooting a portrait, you get an action shot.

And on occasion, you get Cheetos.

Yes, you read that right, Cheetos.

And Cheetos, as unhealthy and finger-licking good as they may be, definitely have the propensity to ruin a great shot if they happen to be caked in your subject’s teeth.

Unless, of course, you have Photoshop.

How to Whiten Teeth (or Remove Cheetos) in Photoshop
Tutorial Level: Beginner

1. Open your image in Photoshop and zoom in on the mouth area (Ctrl and +).
2. From your Tools panel, select the Dodge Tool (it’s the one that looks like a push pin).

3. In the toolbar (example above), be sure to select “Midtones” and choose a fairly low exposure percentage. I usually start out at 15-20%.
4. Using a small, soft brush, paint over teeth until desired color is achieved.

Be sure to zoom out and check your progress often! The dodge tool is very strong and it’s really easy to overdue it and cause your image to look too bright and subsequently fake (think Willy Wonka).

Happy… ummm… dentist-ing?


What other things have children unexpectedly introduced to your portraits of them? Hop over to the forum and tell us your funny kid-shot stories!


Courtney is a liberal , tattooed, book-loving, mother of three who prides herself on her ability to survive solely on Diet Coke and the half-eaten animal crackers that live at the bottom of her purse. She and her alter-ego, Judith Shakespeare, can be found at her blog, The Only Thing I Know, where they make a big ol’ show of talking a lot about nothing and randomly creating post titles out of obscure pop-culture references.