Altering reality through photo manipulation often seems like magic to me. While the results are always satisfying, the process of changing a photograph to reflect something slightly or drastically different can be strangely surreal. A family photo that just misses the mark because someone had their eyes shut is no longer a problem. The ability to add people where there were none before, turn an ordinary picture into a piece of art, or cleaning up an old, worn photo is a resource that I greatly value and use on many occasions.