1. A method for increasing the interest level of a digital image to a particular person, comprising: defining an interest level function that determines an interest level of a particular digital image to the particular person responsive to familiarity levels of image elements in the particular digital image; designating an initial digital image including one or more image elements having associated initial familiarity levels, the initial digital image having an initial interest level as characterized by the interest level function responsive to the initial familiarity levels; modifying the set of image elements in the initial digital image, the modified set of image elements having associated modified familiarity levels, thereby providing a modified digital image having an increased interest level to the particular person, relative to the initial interest level, as characterized by the interest level function responsive to the modified familiarity levels; and displaying the modified digital image to the particular person; wherein the method is performed at least in part using a data processor.