Technologies for Digital Fulfillment 2007
International, Inc.

Brightness Calculation
in Digital Image Processing
Sergey Bezryadin, Pavel Burov*, Dmitry Ilinih*

KWE International Inc, San Francisco, USA

*UniqueIC’s, Saratov, Russia

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Introduction
 Usually, term Brightness should be used only for non-quantitative
references to physiological sensations and perceptions of light.
 Thus, Wyszecki and Stiles
 define Brightness as an attribute of a visual sensation according to
which a given visual stimulus appears to be more or less intense;
or, according to which the area in which the visual stimulus is
presented appears to emit more or less light
 and range variation in Brightness from “bright” to “dim”.
 This definition is useless for software developers. Image processing cannot
deal with sensation. It needs a quantitative description for Brightness.
 However, currently, there is no conventional measure for this stimulus
characteristic.
 Values that algorithm developers use for Brightness representation vary
even in a single software product.

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Introduction

In this presentation,
 The most popular values used for Brightness representation are reviewed.

 Use of stimulus length as a measure of Brightness is suggested.

 The effect of the Brightness measure choice on

 Color to Grayscale Transformation
 Brightness Editing
 Contrast and Dynamic Range Editing
is discussed

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Brightness Models: Luminance
 Not so long ago, Luminance was used as a synonym for Brightness.
 A value Photoshop employs for Brightness in Color-to-Grayscale transformation
well correlates with Luminance definition.
 All stimuli presented in this table have the same Luminance (2% accuracy).
Red Green Blue
Gray
157 0 0 0 89 0 0 0 255
Cyan Magenta Yellow
76 76 76
0 85 85 138 0 138 79 79 0

 However, as you can see, corresponding colors are not equi-bright.

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Brightness Models: Luma
 Another popular brightness substitution is Luma.
 According to ITU-R BT.601 standard, it is a Brightness equivalent in MPEG and
JPEG algorithms
Y' = 0.299 r + 0.587 g + 0.114 b
 where r, g, and b are stimulus sRGB coordinates.

 Luma is widely used in image processing algorithms imitating Brightness

control embodied in TV.
 Thus, Photoshop uses it in contrast editing algorithms to calculate average
Brightness.

 There is a myth that Luma well approximates Brightness. It is not always

true.
 To compare Luma with Luminance, consider this two stimuli with sRGB
coordinates (0,0,255) and (38,21,45)
 Both of them are characterized by the same Luma value (Y' = 29),
 while their Luminance differs 6.4 times.

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Brightness Models: Arithmetic mean
 The most popular Brightness editing algorithm is based on Arithmetic
mean model
μ = (r + g + b) / 3
 This Brightness measure has the biggest difference with Luminance.

 For example, two stimuli with the following sRGB coordinates

(0,255,0) and (69,21,165)
 are characterized by the same value μ = 85,
 while their Luminance differs 15.8 times.

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Brightness Models: HSV
 Introduced by Alvy Ray Smith, HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) also known as
HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) model is prevalent in Saturation and Hue
editing algorithms
V = max (r, g, b)
 According to this formula, stimuli with the following sRGB coordinates
(255,255,255) and (0,0,255),
 are characterized by the same V = 255.
 Their Luminance differs 13.9 times.

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Brightness Models: BCH
 Use of stimulus length as a measure of Brightness introduced in BCH
(Brightness, Chroma, Hue) model provides Brightness definition effective for
all image-editing algorithms.
 Length is calculated according to Cohen metrics.

B  D2  E 2  F 2

 D   0.2053 0.7125 0.4670   X 

     
E
   1 .8537  1. 2797  0. 4429  Y 
 F    0.3655 1.0120  0.6104   Z 
     

where X, Y, and Z are Tristimulus values.

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Linear CCS DEF2
 Linear CCS DEF2 is designed to be
D orthonormal according to Cohen metric.
 DEF2 uses the 2º CIE 1931 data.
 Digit “2” indicates 2º Standard Colorimetric
D65 Observer.

 DEF2 is based on the following

restrictions:
F
 Е = F = 0 and D is positive for standard
Day light D65.
 F = 0 and E is positive for red
monochromatic stimulus (700 nm).
= 700  F is positive for yellow stimulus.
nm

E
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Plane D = 1
 Plane, where D = 1, is convenient for depicting Gamut of various image
reproduction devices, for example, for Gamut of sRGB monitor.

sRGB Monitor Gamut

White Light

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New Definitions of Brightness, Chroma, and Hue
 B – Brightness
is a norm of the color vector S.

 C – Chroma
S is an angle between the color
vector S and an axis D.
B=||S||
 H – Hue
is an angle between axis E and
the color vector orthogonal
projection on the plane EF.

 With this definition, Brightness,

Chroma and Hue have a clear
physical meaning.
meaning They are
spherical coordinates of the
color vector S.

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Brightness Models: BCH
 The main advantage of BCH model is that it simplifies design of algorithms
that perform only intended operation without unwilling concurrent
modification of other image parameters.

 Thus, Brightness and contrast editing algorithms based on BCH model

modify only pixel Brightness and preserve chromatic coordinates.

 This Brightness definition is also noticeably different from Luminance.

 For example, stimuli with the following sRGB coordinates

(0,0,255) and (196,234,0)

 have the same length, so they are equally-bright according to BCH model

 but Luminance of these stimuli differs 9.8 times.

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Color-to-Gray Transformation: Luminance

 The most natural way to turn a colored image into a grayscale one is with an
algorithm that preserves pixel Brightness.
 This transformation may serve as a test for quality of Brightness measure.
 Let us consider the presented earlier image, which colors correspond to
stimuli having the same Luminance.
 This image processed with color-to-grayscale transformation using
Luminance for Brightness turns into equally grey picture.
 Processing the same image with alternative Brightness representatives
(according to discussed above models) makes it possible to compare
Brightness measures.

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Color-to-Gray Transformation: Luma
 While Luminance underrates
Brightness of the Blue stimulus, the
value provided for it by Luma may be
considered as unacceptably small.
 Rating of colors looks inversed,
marking Blue and Red less bright
than Cyan and Yellow.

Luma model

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Color-to-Grays Transformation: Arithmetic mean
 Use of Arithmetic mean model
 improves relation between Blue and Grey
stimuli,
 but underrates Brightness of Green and
overrates Magenta.

Luma model

Arithmetic mean model

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Color-to-Grayscale Transformation: HSV
 HSV Brightness rating better
corresponds to human perseption.
 However, Blue stimulus is graded as
high as White stimulus and this
defect reduces the model value.

Luma model HSV model

Arithmetic mean model

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Color-to-Grayscale Transformation: BCH
 In BCH model evaluation of Blue is
improved comparing to HSV model
and, in general, its Brightness rating
better corresponds to human
perception.

Luma model HSV model

Arithmetic mean model BCH model

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Brightness Editing: BCH (Natural choice)
 An algorithm that is equivalent to expocorrection and which may be described with
the following formula
B' = 2EV·B
looks like the most natural choice for Brightness editing.
 This algorithm is designed for BCH Color Coordinate System, but may be adapted for
any other CCS.
 This picture illustrates a performance of the algorithm.

Original color EV = +2 EV = +4

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Brightness Editing: TV based algorithm
 Modern image processing tools, such as, Corel, Photoshop etc., make Brightness
modification with the following formula
(r', g', b') = (r + M0, g + M0, b + M0)
 For this equation, a requirement to transform equi-bright stimuli into equi-bright stimuli is
fulfilled only when Brightness is measured according to the Arithmetic mean model.
 The main defects of the method based on Arithmetic mean model:
 it changes stimuli chromatic coordinates and
 increasing Brightness entails contrast and saturation decrease.

Original color EV = +2 EV = +4 Original color M0 = +55 M0 = +152

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Brightness Editing: Lightness editing
 There is a common believe, that Brightness editing may be well done by
lightness modification in Lab
(L', a', b') = (L + L0, a, b)
 Lightness editing result is very similar to TV based algorithm result, which
has been presented on the previous slide, and significantly worse than the
natural choice.

Original color EV = +2 EV = +4 Original color L0 = +23.4 L0 = +60

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Contrast Editing: Brightness Ratio
 The best contrast definition for digital image processing is the following
contrast is the ratio between the maximal and minimal image brightness.

 Then, a correct contrast editing algorithm should act according to the rule:
If two pairs of pixels have the same brightness ratio prior to the
contrast modification, their brightness ratios remain equal to each
other after the contrast modification

B1 : B2 = B3 : B4 => B1΄ : B2΄ = B3΄ : B4΄

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Contrast Editing: New algorithm
 A transformation that satisfies the above-stated rule might be written as
follows:
k
 B(m, n) 
B' (m, n)  B0  
 B0 

 where B(m,n) is the brightness of a pixel with an order number (m,n),

 and B0 is a constant brightness, for example, average brightness.

 Use of a color vector length (BCH model) or Luminance for brightness in

this formula guarantees preservation of pixel chromatic coordinates.

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Contrast Editing: New algorithm
 This picture illustrates the difference between the algorithm preserving
chromatic coordinates (the new one) and the algorithm that is not (typical).
 The processing of the central image employs a length of a color vector for brightness.

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Dynamic Range Editing Preserving Local Contrast
 The dynamic range editing preserving chromatic coordinates and not
affecting local contrast is very important for High Dynamic Range image
processing.
 Such algorithm may easily be created with the BCH model:

k
 B0 
B' (m, n)  B(m, n) 
 B Avr (m, n) 

 Presented algorithm preserves average Brightness ratio

BAvr,1 : B Avr,2 = B Avr,3 : B Avr,4

 This feature helps maintain an impression of large dynamic range and

provides an opportunity for an accurate reverse transformation.

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Original HDR Image

 Dynamic range of this image is more, than 100 000.

 The above image was constructed from a single photo by successive expocorrection,
two steps at once. The brightness ratio of corresponding pixels in the first and the fifth
part is 256, while their chromatic coordinates are the same.
 In order to prepare the image for viewing on a regular monitor, it was processed
with suggested dynamic range editing algorithm. The result is displayed on the
next slide.
 For comparison, the same image was processed with Photoshop
Shadow/Highlight transformation (simple mode).

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Dynamic Range editing I

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Dynamic Range editing
 While there are many tools for tone mapping, most of them involve several
sliders for this operation, not an easy job for a regular user.

 Thus, somebody may get a better result with Photoshop, than presented on the
previous slide, if he uses 6-slider advanced mode.

 But, even in advanced mode, Photoshop’s algorithm does not preserve pixel’s
chromatic coordinates and local contrast

 Photoshop Shadow/Highlight (simple mode) operation involves only a single

slider, the same as it is needed for the new algorithm, so both compared
here methods have similar level of complexity for users.

 The difference in algorithm results is better visible on the next slide, where
the same original image was twice processed.

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Dynamic Range editing II

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Conclusion
 All considered here Brightness measures do not fully correspond to human
perception

 But while each of the traditional Brightness models

 Luminance
 Luma
 Arithmetic mean model
 HSV

has its advantageous and disadvantageous area of application

 The BCH model works well in all image editing procedures.

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Thank You!

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