Move over Kelly Clarkson

Today I finished up the pre-press work on a magazine we've been putting together at my company. There is a section of photos of scholarship recipients, six pages of postage size, carelessly scanned photos, some that look like they had been carried around in a 3-year old's chocolate covered fist before being turned in for submission.

So needless to say, I've spent a lot of time photoshopping out creases, dust specs, fingerprints on these 18 year olds' fresh faces, getting close and personal with each grad, pores and all.

It is so tempting to touch up the bushy brows, erase the random pimple. Or go even further and whiten teeth, or center that slightly crossed eye. There's also the dilemma - is that a mole or a dust spec from the scanner.

But I do the minimum needed to make them printable and move on. Sorry kids. I have a deadline.