A Tone Mapping Algorithm Based on Multi-scale Decomposition

High dynamic range (HDR) images can present the perfect real scene and rich color information. A commonly encountered problem in practical applications is how to well visualize HDR images on standard display devices. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale decomposition method using guided filtering for HDR image tone mapping. In our algorithm, HDR images are directly decomposed into three layers : base layer, coarse scale detail layer and fine detail layer. We propose an effective function to compress the base layer and the coarse scale detail layer. An adaptive function is also proposed for detail adjustment. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm effectively accomplishes dynamic range compression and maintains good global contrast as well as local contrast. It also presents more image details and keeps high color saturation. Keywords: Guided filtering, HDR images, tone mapping, multi-scale decomposition, adaptive detail adjustment