Baggins,

"The vast majority of "traditional" Poser and DS users give me the impression that they rather like the photograph taped to a mannequin."
If the photograph is perfect maybe but as we see here that is not often the case.

"I didn't do any procedural diffuse. I'm using the map"
But you have made a diffuse skin procedural before. The VSS_Template_Skin procedural could be the perfect medicine for imperfect photo mats. I realize that it is something like that you already did but probably too complicated for the avarage user- I am going to try the VSS_Template_Skin on the Dawn maps myself!