  The role of a photospheric component and of pair breakdown is examined in the
internal shock model of gamma-ray bursts. We discuss some of the mechanisms by
which they would produce anomalously steep low energy slopes, X-ray excesses
and preferred energy breaks. Sub-relativistic comptonization should dominate in
high comoving luminosity bursts with high baryon load, while synchrotron
radiation dominates the power law component in bursts which have lower comoving
luminosity or have moderate to low baryon loads. A photosphere leading to steep
low energy spectral slopes should be prominent in the lowest baryon load
