High Dynamic Range Image Hallucination

Microsoft Research http://research.microsoft.com/research/pubs/view.aspx?0rc=p&type=technica...

We introduce high dynamic range image hallucination for adding high dynamic range details to the over-exposed and under-exposed regions of a low dynamic range image. Our method is based on a simple assumption: there exist high quality patches in the image with similar textures as the regions that are over or under exposed. Hence, we can add high dynamic range details to a region by simply transferring texture details from another patch that may be under different illumination levels. In our approach, a user only needs to annotate the image with a few strokes to indicate textures that can be applied to the corresponding under-exposed or over-exposed regions, and these regions are automatically hallucinated by our algorithm. Experiments demonstrate that our simple, yet effective approach is able to significantly increase the amount of texture details in a wide range of common scenarios, with a modest amount of user interaction.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• microsoft
• research
• high
• dynamic
• range
• image
• hallucination
• photograph
• computer
• HDR

[IsraeliXdude]

WTF, i see nothing special in this software, and definitely not user friendly.

[pendelum5]

do want

[dsuggitt]

my thoughts exactly Jay. I wonder what the system requirements are!

[Starfires]

Even then, I am surprised how well newer programs like Adobe Lightroom transform jpegs, correcting the exposure and white balance so smoothly. Software is getting far more intelligent and powerful and after all, the picture itself is an illusion, which is getting increasingly transformable.

[Starfires]

I'm sure HDR camera images will come, but in the meantime, there is a choice between making and faking. Actually RAW files are a little better than jpegs here, as they are generally 10-12-bit (jpegs are 8-bit, true HDR's 42-bit) and you can do the 'tone-mapping' with them- a process probably similar to what this program does. Basically, the more 'bits' you have to play with, the smoother such editting looks.

[Starfires]

Well yes, that's all I really want... but for the time being it doesn't exist! Also, it takes a lot of processing power to do it on the PC, where I also play with many variables to get a good, viewable, 'tone mapped' image (you can see them in some of my videos), which means some waiting for a camera.

[twdarkflame]

Well, what else is it?

Its just copying regions from one area to another.

Adding HDR support dosnt make it something fundimentaly different.

You can tell this most when looking at the brick wall example. Its *exactly* as if an artist has just cloned a region over.

The green and blue thing, meanwhile, is just cloneing with perspective correction.

Ignore the hype and look what its DOING, its nothing.

Good easy to use tools for amataurs, but profesionals arnt going to be impressed here.

[twdarkflame]

Why not just want a HDR camera that dosnt lose any detail at all? True HDR is better then fakeing no?

Then in your paint app you can just choose the exposure for different regions, the software wont have to guess at all.

[jingham06]

stop talking out youur arse you uneducated noob

[Starfires]

What I want,like Wildwasser, is an HDR camera that does this all the time. Once you star making true HDR images (blending exposures), there is no going back as their colours are so much more vivid. This seems to be a pretty intelligent way of bringing those advantages to an LDR image, though I'm never all that happy with the 'posterised' effect of this sort of thing compared to real colours. Who knows- maybe this is better?