Image Trends ShineOff and PearlyWhites by Alice B. Miller

Ever wondered why family and friends appear to have not so bright white smiles or extra shiny faces in the photographs you take? Harsh, direct flash lighting is causing that extra shine on your subjects’ faces. And digital capture is to blame for taking the white out of naturally bright teeth.

These digital detractions can be a thing of the past by using two of the latest Photoshop plug-ins from Image Trends--PearlyWhites and ShineOff. These filters both do a beautiful job of reversing the undesirable side effects of digital capture.

When applied to your favorite photographic memories, the PearlyWhites filter automatically whitens and brightens your subjects’ smiles. The filter’s effects are cumulative, so feel free to apply it more than once to further whiten the teeth.

The ShineOff filter, as its name suggests, helps you remove unwanted shine from faces and skin tones, leaving only the natural luster you expect to see on lips, in the eyes, and in a healthy smile. Unlike PearlyWhites, ShineOff is made to be applied just once to an image. To maximize its effects on specific areas and to generally gain more control of the plug-in, Photoshop-savvy shooters may want to use the History Brush or Fade tool on individual images.

Both tools can be combined with other plug-ins in a Photoshop Action, or used to transform any number of images in Batch mode.

To illustrate the difference ShineOff and PearlyWhites can make in image quality, let’s take a look at some before & after shots.

The image of the tennis player was captured at the U.S. Open in September with an Olympus E-410 SLR and an Olympus 40-150mm f/4-5.6 Zuiko ED Zoom Lens. As soon as PearlyWhites was applied—one quick click—the player’s smile went from dreary to a more appealing shade of tennis white.

After PearlyWhites © Alice B. Miller

The closeup of the nine-year-old thinker, was captured in 2000 with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P1, its built-in flash providing some fill light. Notice how the shine on his nose diminishes when ShineOff is applied.

The original image of the mother and child was shot in 2006 with an Olympus SP-350. First ShineOff was applied to minimize the mother’s facial glare, then PearlyWhites was used to return her sunny smile. There is a noticeable enhancement of the original photo after both plug-ins are applied.

Colorado commercial photographer Allison Earnest captured Deb’s portrait in October with her Nikon D-200. After both plug-ins are applied to the image, her face shows less glare and her teeth appear shades lighter.

Before ShineOff. Photo credit: www.allisonearnestphotography.com

After ShineOff. Photo credit: www.allisonearnestphotography.com

After ShineOff and PearlyWhites. Photo credit: www.allisonearnestphotography.com

In Allison’s original image of Trey, captured in November with her Canon EOS 5D, harsh glare detracts from his appearance. ShineOff creates a more natural look.

Before ShineOff Photo credit: www.allisonearnestphotography.com

After ShineOff Photo credit: www.allisonearnestphotography.com

Whether you’re a Photoshop beginner or ace, you’ll find this pair of Image Trends plug-ins easy to use, extremely effective, and absolutely magic.

Want to try one or both plug-ins before making a purchase? Image Trends invites you to download a free trial version at their website, http://www.ImageTrendsInc.com. To proceed with a purchase, be specify if you are PC- or Mac-based. Each plug-in is priced at U.S. $49.95.

Image Trends, Inc. is a team of product innovators dedicated to the continued invention and development of creative tools and products to enrich our lives through The Science of Imaging. ITI licenses its branded technologies through Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that provide products for the professional and consumer imaging markets. Additionally, ITI directly distributes Adobe® Photoshop® Plug-in compatible filters and stand-alone image correction and enhancement applications.

Alice B. Miller, the former editor of Studio Photography magazine, is a freelance writer and editor based in Long Island, New York. A member of the International Photographic Council's board of directors, she has served as a juror for the Black & White Spider Awards since 2005 and for The Center for Fine Art Photography in 2007. She may be reached at alice@photogrator.com.