Image Enhancement

❖Image Enhancement is the process of

manipulating an image so that the result is
more suitable than the original for a specific
application.
❖Image enhancement
❑Spatial Domaincan be done in :
❑Frequency Domain

❖ Spatial Domain Transformation are :

❑Point operations
❑Mask Operations
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 1
 Spatial Domain Process

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 Point Operation
❖ Operation deals with pixel intensity values
individually.
❖ The intensity values are altered using particular
transformation techniques as per the requirement.
❖ The transformed output pixel value does not depend
on any of the neighbouring pixel value of the input
Examples:
image.
❑ Image Negative.
❑ Contrast Stretching.
❑ Thresholding.
❑ Brightness Enhancement.
❑ Log Transformation.
❑ Power Law Transformation.

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 3

 Mask Operation

❖ Mask is a small matrix useful for blurring,

sharpening, edge-detection and more.

❖New image is generated by multiplying the

input image with the mask matrix.

❖The output pixel values thus depend on the

neighbouring input pixel values.

❖The mask may be of any dimension 3X3 4X4

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 4

….
Mask Operation

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 5

Transfer function for different Intensity
Transformations

Transfer function
of
a) Negative
b) Log
c) Nth root
d) Identity
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING
e) Nth power 6

f) Inverse log
 Image Negative

❖ Negative images are useful for enhancing

white or grey detail embedded in dark regions
of an image.

❖ The negative of an image with gray levels in

the range [0,L-1] is obtained by using the
expression
s = L -1 - r
L-1 = Maximum pixel value .
r = Pixel value of an image.
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 7
 Example: Image Negatives

Small
lesion

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 Image Negative

Original Image Image

negative
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 9
 Image Negative

Matlab % program for image enhancement using

image negative
code : clear all
clc
close all
a=imread('clown.png');
[m,n]=size(a);
for i=1:1:m
for j=1:1:n
b(i,j)=255-a(i,j);
end
end
subplot(1,2,1),subimage((a)),title('Original
Image');
subplot(1,2,2),subimage((b)),title('Image
after image negative transformation')

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 10

 Image Negative

Output
screen:

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 11

 Contrast Stretching
❑ Contrast basically the difference between
the intensity values of darker and brighter
pixels .
❑ Contrast stretching expands the range of
❑ intensity levels inisan
Contrast stretching image.
done in three ways:
❖ Multiplying each input pixel intensity value with a
constant scalar.
Example: s=2*r
❖ Using Histogram Equivalent
❖ Applying a transform which makes dark portion
darker by assigning slope of < 1 and bright portion
brighter by assigning slope of > 1.
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 12
Contrast Stretching (Using Transfer
Function)

Formulation is given below:

s = l*r ; for 0 <= r
<= a
= m(r-a) + v ; for a < r <=
b DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 13

= n(r-b) + w ; for b < r

 Contrast Stretching

Original Contrast Enhanced

Image Image
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 14
 Contrast Stretching
Contrast Stretching By Multiplication of each pixel with
a scalar. % program to increase the contrast of an
image
Matlab code: x=input('Enter the factor which contrast
should be increased');
a=imread('clown.png');
[m,n]=size(a);
for i=1:1:m
for j=1:1:n
b(i,j)=a(i,j)*x;
end
end
subplot(1,2,1),subimage(a),title('Original
Image');
subplot(1,2,2),subimage(b),title('contrast
Image'),xlabel(sprintf('Contrast increased by
a factor of %g',x));
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 15
 Contrast Stretching

Output
screen:

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 16

 Contrast Stretching
Contrast Stretching by using threshold function.
Matlab code: % program to increase the contrast of an
image
x=input('Enter the factor which contrast
should be increased');
a=imread('clown.png');
[m,n]=size(a);
for i=1:1:m
for j=1:1:n
if(a(i,j)<50)
b(i,j)=a(i,j);%slope of transfer function
between i/p and o/p is 1
elseif (a(i,j)>200)
b(i,j)=a(i,j);
else
b(i,j)=a(i,j)*x;%slope of transfer function
between i/p and o/p is x.Hence contrast of
some DIGITAL
particular pixel value range increased
IMAGE PROCESSING 17
 Contrast Stretching

Matlab code:
end
end
end
subplot(1,2,1),subimage(a),title('Original
Image');
subplot(1,2,2),subimage(b),title('contrast
Image'),xlabel(sprintf('Contrast increased by a
factor of %g in the range 50 to 200',x));

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 18

 Contrast Stretching

Output
screen:

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 19

 Contrast Stretching
Contrast Stretching By Histogram Equalisation.
Matlab % program to increase the contrast of an image by
histogram equivalent
code :
a=imread('clown.png');
b=histeq(a);
subplot(2,2,1),subimage(a),title('Original Image');
subplot(2,2,2),subimage(b),title('contrast
Image'),xlabel(sprintf('Contrast increased by
Histogram equivalent'));
subplot(2,2,3),imhist(a),title('Histogram of Original
Image');
subplot(2,2,4),imhist(b),title('Histogram of Contrast
Image');

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 20

 Contrast Stretching

Output
screen :

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 21

 Thresholding

❖ Extreme Contrast Stretching yields

Thresholding.

❖ Thresholded image has maximum contrast

as it has only BLACK & WHITE gray values.

❖ In Contrast Stretching figure, if l & n slope

are made ZERO & if m slope is increased
then we get Thresholding Transformation

❖ If r1 = r2, s1 = 0 & s2 = L-1 ,then we get

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 22
Thresholding function.
Thresholding Function

Expression goes as
under:
s = 0; if r = a
s = L – 1 ; if r >a
where, L is
number of gray
levels.
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 23
 Thresholding

Original Transformed Image

Image
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 24
 Thresholding

Matlab % program for image thresholding

a=imread('pout.tif');
code: [m,n]=size(a);
for i=1:1:m
for j=1:1:n
if(a(i,j)<125)
b(i,j)=0;%pixel values below 125 are mapped
to zero
else
b(i,j)=255;%pixel values equal or above 125 are
mapped to 255
end
end
end
subplot(1,2,1),subimage(a),title('Original Image');
subplot(1,2,2),subimage(b),title('threshold Image');

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 25

 Thresholding

Output
screen:

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 26

 Brightness Enhancement

❖Brightness Enhancement is shifting of

intensity values to a higher level.
❖The darker and the lighter pixels both get
their values shifted by some constant
value.
❖ Example : In x-ray images brightness can
be enhanced to find the darker spots.
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 27
 Brightness Enhancement

Matlab % program to increase the brightness of an image

x=input('Enter the factor which brightness should be
code : increased');
a=imread('clown.png');
[m,n]=size(a);
for i=1:1:m
for j=1:1:n
b(i,j)=a(i,j)+x;
end
end
subplot(1,2,1),subimage(a),title('Original Image');
subplot(1,2,2),subimage(b),title('Brighter
Image'),xlabel(sprintf('Brightness increased by a factor
of %g',x));

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 28

 Brightness Enhancement

Output
screen:

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 29

 Log Transformation
❖ The log transformation is given by the expression
s = c log(1 + r)
where c is a constant and it is assumed that r≥0.
❖ This transformation maps a narrow range of low-
level grey scale intensities into a wider range of
output values.
❖ Similarly maps the wide range of high-level grey
scale intensities into a narrow range of high level
output values.
❖ This transform is used to expand values of dark
pixels and compress values of bright pixels.
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 30
Logarithmic Transformation Contd…

Original Image Transformed Image

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 31

 Log Transformation

Matlab % program for image enhancement using logarithmic

transformation
code: A=input('Enter the value of constant A');
a=imread('clown.jpg');
a=rgb2gray(a);
[m,n]=size(a);
a=double(a);
for i=1:1:m
for j=1:1:n
b(i,j)=A*log(1+a(i,j));
end
end
figure,subplot(1,2,1),subimage(uint8(a)),title('Origina
l Image');
subplot(1,2,2),subimage(uint8(b)),title('Image after
logarithmic transformation'),xlabel(sprintf('Constant
is %g',A));
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 32
 Log Transformation

Output
screen:

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 33

 Power Law Transformation
Expression for power law transformation is
given by: s = c *(r γ )
s is the output pixels value.
r is the input pixel value.
c and γ are real numbers.
❑For various values of γ different levels of
enhancements can be obtained.
❑ This technique is quite commonly called
as Gamma Correction , used in monitor
displays.
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 34
 Power Law Transformation
❖ Different display monitors display images at different
intensities and clarity because every monitor has
built-in gamma correction in it with certain gamma
ranges .
❖ A good monitor automatically corrects all the images
displayed on it for the best contrast to give user the
best experience.
❖ The difference between the log-transformation
function and the power-law functions is that using
the power-law function a family of possible
transformation curves can be obtained just by
varying the γ .
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 35
 Power Law Transformation
A B
A : original
image
For c=1
B : γ =3.0
C : γ =4.0
C D D : γ =5.0

36
 Power Law Transformation

Matlab
% program for image enhancement using power
code: law
A=input('Enter the value of constant A');
x=input('Enter the value of power x');
a=imread('clown.png');
[m,n]=size(a);
for i=1:1:m
for j=1:1:n
b(i,j)=A*(a(i,j)^x);
end
end
subplot(1,2,1),subimage(a),title('Original Image');
subplot(1,2,2),subimage(b),title('Image after
power law
transformation'),xlabel(sprintf('Constant is %g\
nPower is %g',A,x));
DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 37
 Power Law Transformation

Output
screen:

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING 38

 Bit Plane Slicing
►Instead of highlighting intensity
ranges, highlighting the contribution
made to the total image appearance
by specific bit might be desired.
►Imagine that the image is composed
of eight 1-bit planes, ranging from
plane 0 for least significant bit to plane
7 for the most significant bit.
►Bit-plane slicing reveals that only the
five highest order bits contain visually
significant data. Also, note that plane
7, corresponds exactly with an image
threshold at gray-level 128.
 Bit-plane Slicing

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 Bit-plane Slicing

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 Bit-plane Slicing

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 Histogram Processing

► Histogram Equalization

► Histogram Matching

► Local Histogram Processing

► Using Histogram Statistics for Image Enhancement

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 Histogram Processing

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 Histogram Equalization
► Histogram equalization is a method in image
processing of contrast adjustment using
the image's histogram.
► This method usually increases the global contrast of
many images, especially when the usable data of
the image is represented by close contrast values.
► Through this adjustment, the intensities can be
better distributed on the histogram.
► This allows for areas of lower local contrast to gain a
higher contrast.
► Histogram equalization accomplishes this by
effectively spreading out the most frequent intensity
values.
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 Histogram Equalization

Weeks 1 & 2 48
 Histogram Equalization

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 Histogram Equalization

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 Histogram Equalization

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 Histogram Equalization

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 Example

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 Example

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 Histogram Equalization

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 Example: Histogram Equalization
Suppose that a 3-bit image (L=8) of size 64 × 64 pixels (MN
= 4096) has the intensity distribution shown in following
table.
Get the histogram equalization transformation function and
give the ps(sk) for each sk.

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 Example: Histogram Equalization

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 Example: Histogram Equalization

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 Question
Is histogram equalization always
good?

No

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 Histogram Matching
Histogram matching (histogram
specification)
— generate a processed image that has a specified
histogram

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 Histogram Matching

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 Histogram Matching: Procedure

► Obtain pr(r) from the input image and then obtain the
values of s

► Use the specified PDF and obtain the transformation

function G(z)

► Mapping from s to z

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 Histogram Matching: Example

Assuming continuous intensity values, suppose that an

image has the intensity PDF

Find the transformation function that will produce an

image whose intensity PDF is

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 Histogram Matching: Example

Find the histogram equalization transformation for the input

image

Find the histogram equalization transformation for the specified

histogram

The transformation function

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 Histogram Matching: Discrete Cases

► Obtain pr(rj) from the input image and then obtain the
values of sk, round the value to the integer range [0, L-1].

► Use the specified PDF and obtain the transformation

function G(zq), round the value to the integer range [0, L-
1].

► Mapping from sk to zq

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 Example: Histogram Matching
Suppose that a 3-bit image (L=8) of size 64 × 64 pixels (MN
= 4096) has the intensity distribution shown in the following
table (on the left). Get the histogram transformation function
and make the output image with the specified histogram,
listed in the table on the right.

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 Example: Histogram Matching

Obtain the scaled histogram-equalized values,

Compute all the values of the transformation function G,

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

Obtain the scaled histogram-equalized values,

Compute all the values of the transformation function G,

s0 s1
s2 s3
s4 s5 s6 s7

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Local Histogram Processing

Define a neighborhood and move its center from

pixel to pixel

At each location, the histogram of the points in the

neighborhood is computed. Either histogram
equalization or histogram specification
transformation function is obtained

Map the intensity of the pixel centered in the

neighborhood

Move to the next location and repeat the procedure

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 Local Histogram Processing: Example

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 Using Histogram Statistics for Image
Enhancement
Average
Intensity

Varianc
e

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 Using Histogram Statistics for Image
Enhancement

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 Using Histogram Statistics for Image
Enhancement: Example

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 Spatial Filtering

A spatial filter consists of (a) a neighborhood, and

(b) a predefined operation

Linear spatial filtering of an image of size MxN with

a filter of size mxn is given by the expression

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 Spatial Filtering

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 Spatial Correlation

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 Spatial Convolution

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 Smoothing Spatial Filters

Smoothing filters are used for blurring and for noise

reduction

Blurring is used in removal of small details and

bridging of small gaps in lines or curves

Smoothing spatial filters include linear filters and

nonlinear filters.

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 Spatial Smoothing Linear Filters

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 Two Smoothing Averaging Filter Masks

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 Two Smoothing Averaging Filter Masks

A=
3 3 2 3
2 2 7 2
2 3 2 3
2 2 3 3

h=
ones(3,3)/9;
0.1111 0.1111 0.1111
0.1111 0.1111 0.1111
0.1111 0.1111 0.1111
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 I2 = imfilter (A,
h);
A=
3 3 2 3
2 2 7 2
2 3 2 3 1 2 2 2
2 3 3 2
2 2 3 3
1 3 3 2
1 2 2 1
0.1111 0.1111 0.1111
0.1111 0.1111 0.1111
0.1111 0.1111 0.1111

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Smoothing Filters: Averaging
(cont’d)
► Mask size determines the degree of smoothing
(loss of detail).
origin 3x3 5x5 7x7
al

15x15 25x25
Smoothing Filters: Averaging
(cont’d)
Example: extract largest, brightest objects

15 x 15 image
averaging thresholding
 Example: Gross Representation of Objects

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 Order-statistic (Nonlinear) Filters

— Nonlinear

— Based on ordering (ranking) the pixels contained

in the filter mask

— Replacing the value of the center pixel with the

value determined by the ranking result

E.g., median filter, max filter, min filter

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 Smoothing Filters: Median Filtering
(cont’d)
►Replace each pixel by the median
in a neighborhood around the
pixel.
 Example: Use of Median Filtering for Noise
Reduction

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 Sharpening Spatial Filters

► Foundation

► Laplacian Operator

► Unsharp Masking and Highboost Filtering

► Using First-Order Derivatives for Nonlinear Image

Sharpening — The Gradient

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 Sharpening Spatial Filters: Foundation

► The first-order derivative of a one-dimensional

function f(x) is the difference

► The second-order derivative of f(x) as the difference

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 Sharpening Spatial Filters: Laplace Operator

The second-order isotropic derivative operator is the

Laplacian for a function (image) f(x,y)

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 Sharpening Spatial Filters: Laplace Operator

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 Sharpening Spatial Filters: Laplace Operator

Image sharpening in the way of using the Laplacian:

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 Unsharp Masking and Highboost Filtering

► Unsharp masking
Sharpen images consists of subtracting an unsharp
(smoothed) version of an image from the original image
e.g., printing and publishing industry

► Steps
1. Blur the original image
2. Subtract the blurred image from the original
3. Add the mask to the original

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 Unsharp Masking and Highboost Filtering

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 Unsharp Masking: Demo

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 Unsharp Masking and Highboost Filtering:
Example

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 Image Sharpening based on First-Order
Derivatives

Gradient
Image
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 Image Sharpening based on First-Order
Derivatives

z1 z2 z3
z4 z5 z6
z7 z8 z9
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 Image Sharpening based on First-Order
Derivatives

z1 z2 z3
z4 z5 z6
z7 z8 z9
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 Image Sharpening based on First-Order
Derivatives

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Example

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Example:

Combining
Spatial
Enhancement
Methods

Goal:

Enhance the
image by
sharpening it
and by
bringing out
more of the
skeletal detail
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Example:

Combining
Spatial
Enhancement
Methods

Goal:

Enhance the
image by
sharpening it
and by
bringing out
more of the
skeletal detail
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Question: 1

117
118
Question 2

119