The Art and Science of HDR Imaging

Rendering High Dynamic Range (HDR) scenes on media with limited dynamic range began in the Renaissance whereby painters, then photographers, learned to use low-range spatial techniques to synthesize appearances, rather than to reproduce accurately the light from scenes. The Art and Science of HDR Imaging presents a unique scientific HDR approach derived from artists’ understanding of painting, emphasizing spatial information in electronic imaging.

Human visual appearance and reproduction rendition of the HDR world requires spatial-image processing to overcome the veiling glare limits of optical imaging, in eyes and in cameras. Illustrated in full colour throughout, including examples of fine-art paintings, HDR photography, and multiple exposure scenes; this book uses techniques to study the HDR properties of entire scenes, and measures the range of light of scenes and the range that cameras capture. It describes how electronic image processing has been used to render HDR scenes since 1967, and examines the great variety of HDR algorithms used today. Showing how spatial processes can mimic vision, and render scenes as artists do, the book also:

• Gives the history of HDR from artists' spatial techniques to scientific image processing
• Measures and describes the limits of HDR scenes, HDR camera images, and the range of HDR appearances
• Offers a unique review of the entire family of Retinex image processing algorithms
• Describes the considerable overlap of HDR and Color Constancy: two sides of the same coin
• Explains the advantages of algorithms that replicate human vision in the processing of HDR scenes
• Provides extensive data to test algorithms and models of vision on an accompanying website
  www.wiley.com/go/mccannhdr

John J. McCann, Consultant, McCann Imaging, USA
John McCann received a B.A. degree in Biology from Harvard University in 1964. He worked in, and later managed, the Vision Research Laboratory at Polaroid from 1961 to 1996. He has studied human color vision, digital image processing, large format instant photography and the reproduction of fine art. His 120 publications have studied Retinex theory, color from rod/Lcone interactions at low light levels, appearance with scattered light, and HDR imaging.
He has been a Fellow of the Society of Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T) since 1983. He is a past President of IS&T and the Artists Foundation, Boston. In 1996 he received the SID Certificate of Commendation. He is the IS&T/OSA 2002 Edwin H. Land Medalist, and IS&T 2005 Honorary Member, and is a 2008 Fellow of the Optical Society of America. He is currently consulting and continuing his research on color vision.

Alessandro Rizzi, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Professor Alessandro Rizzi holds a degree in Computer Science at University of Milano and received a PhD in Information Engineering at University of Brescia (Italy). He taught Information Systems and Computer Graphics at University of Brescia and at Politecnico di Milano. He is currently an  assistant professor teaching Multimedia and Human-Computer Interaction, and senior research fellow at the Department of Information Technologies at University of Milano. Since 1990 he has researched in the field of digital imaging and vision. His main research topic is the use of color information in digital images with particular attention to color perception mechanisms. He is the coordinator of the Italian Color Group
Conference Chair of Color Conference at IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging, and a principle organizer of European Marie Curie Project CREATE.