A psychophysical experiment was conducted in which observers compared the saturation and brightness between high-dynamic-range images that had been modulated in chroma and achromatic lightness. Models of brightness which account for the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect include both chromatic and achromatic inputs into brightness metrics, and this experiment was an exploration of whether these metrics could be expanded to images. The observers consistently judged saturation in agreement with the predictions of our color appearance modeling. However, some unexpected results and differences between observers in their methods for judging brightness indicates that further modeling, including spatial effects of color perception, need to be included to apply our model of the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect to images.
Luminance underestimates the brightness of chromatic visual stimuli. This phenomenon, known as the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect, is due to the different experimental methods—heterochromatic flicker photometry (luminance) and direct brightness matching (brightness)—from which these measures are derived. This paper probes the relationship between luminance and brightness through a psychophysical experiment that uses slowly oscillating visual stimuli and compares the results of such an experiment to the results of flicker photometry and direct brightness matching. The results show that the dimension of our internal color space corresponding with our achromatic response to stimuli is not a scale of brightness or lightness.
High dynamic range (HDR) technology enables a much wider range of luminances – both relative and absolute – than standard dynamic range (SDR). HDR extends black to lower levels, and white to higher levels, than SDR. HDR enables higher absolute luminance at the display to be used to portray specular highlights and direct light sources, a capability that was not available in SDR. In addition, HDR programming is mastered with wider color gamut, usually DCI P3, wider than the BT.1886 (“BT.709”) gamut of SDR. The capabilities of HDR strain the usual SDR methods of specifying color range. New methods are needed. A proposal has been made to use CIE LAB to quantify HDR gamut. We argue that CIE L* is only appropriate for applications having contrast range not exceeding 100:1, so CIELAB is not appropriate for HDR. In practice, L* cannot accurately represent lightness that significantly exceeds diffuse white – that is, L* cannot reasonably represent specular reflections and direct light sources. In brief: L* is inappropriate for HDR. We suggest using metrics based upon ST 2084/BT.2100 PQ and its associated color encoding, IC<sub>T</sub>C<sub>P</sub>.