Image correction apparatus and image correction method

An image correction apparatus generates a reduced smoothed image by smoothing a reduced image created from an input image; detects at least one edge pixel on the reduced image or the reduced smoothed image; calculates, for each pixel of the reduced image, a reflectance component of an object; calculates a correction factor having a value based on a reflectance component in accordance with a distribution of reflectance components other than the reflectance component of the edge pixel; generates an enlarged smoothed image by enlarging the reduced smoothed image; and generates a corrected image by calculating a luminance value of each pixel of the corrected image based on the correction factor and the reflectance component based on a ratio of a luminance value of a corresponding pixel of the input image to a luminance value of a corresponding pixel of the enlarged smoothed image.