Here's an example of some light-handed digital photo retouching. Too often, facial retouching is done to achieve a look of perfection, which can lead to an overpainted or "plastic" appearance. By merely softening areas of concern (as opposed to eliminating them), it creates a far more realistic effect. The sample .gif above animates between the original photograph (supplied by Mitchell Kearney), and the final retouched image, used as part of a CD booklet insert.