Color correction for high dynamic range images using a chromatic adaptation method

Abstract

In the image capturing process using a camera, poor illumination has an influence on the image quality, especially in regards to the contrast and details in the dark regions. Generally, high dynamic range (HDR) imaging techniques are used to match the quality between the real scene and the displayed image. However, in images using the multi-exposure technique or regular photography, the images are limited by the veiling glare, which is scene-, exposure-, lens-, aperture-, and camera-dependent. This study mainly addressed images using the multi-exposure technique and developed a color correction scheme that uses a chromatic adaptation method. In the tone mapping using a Gaussian pyramid, the adaptation level is obtained based on a linear Gaussian filter. The resulting image is then processed through the developed tone-mapping function. This allows the chromatic adaptation method to address the mismatches between the real world and the displayed image. The experiment results show that the proposed method yields a better color correction performance compared to conventional methods.