As a Photography student that learned the craft during the beginning stages of Digital, I was still taught the original techniques used to retouch by hand.  Beyond the exposure manipulation of “dodging/burning” prints and “pushing/pulling” film, I learned how to get rid of dust and scratches using very fine-point brushes and dyes.  Also, I could lighten someone’s eyes or get rid of scars/acne on a model.  Advanced retouchers could create entirely new scenes, combining different frames of film into one final magical image.

I knew this happened a lot for ad work/fashion magazines throughout history, but I never thought to question every single image in my History book. This blows me away.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121213-fake-pictures-make-real-memories/1