Stack-Based Algorithms for HDR Capture and Reconstruction

High-dynamic-range (HDR) images can be created with standard camera hardware by capturing and combining multiple pictures, each sampling a different segment of the irradiance distribution of a scene. This seemingly straightforward process involves several important steps, which will be the focus of this chapter. We start by examining the problem of selecting the set of exposures that properly measures the full dynamic range of a particular scene, a process known as metering for HDR. We then describe how to perform radiometric calibration, needed to estimate the incoming irradiance from the low-dynamic-range (LDR) images. After that, we offer an overview of methods to merge multiple LDR images into a single HDR image. Finally, we discuss methods to compensate for camera and scene motion, which would otherwise cause artifacts in the final HDR image.