This research investigated the influence of lightness, lightness contrast, observer characteristics, and display types on image preference and perception. Previous studies have emphasized the importance of color attributes in shaping image quality; in this study, we explored lightness attributes using CIECAM16 color space. Four experiments were conducted on OLED and QLED displays, during which participants adjusted color attributes of images to their preference and rated their preferred images relative to reference images. The results indicated that lightness attributes significantly impact image preference, and that observer characteristics and image content influence lightness preference on each display type.