Shell histogram equalization of color images

Abstract Histogram equalization (HE) is an effective technique for image enhancement. In this study, we devised a new technique called shell histogram equalization for color images. The technique is a dimensionality reduction method, which transforms 3-D space enhancement to 1-D shell enhancement. First, the 3-D RGB color space is decomposed into L ( L  = 256) RGB shells, which are similar to a quarter sphere shells or a quarter onion squamae. Then, HE is implemented on shells, and makes the shells coincide with the distribution of the iso-luminance-planes in the RGB cube. After analyzing the computational complexity of the proposed method, comparison experiments are carried out and validated by subjective and objective assessments. The experimental results show that the method provides better enhancement for underexposed and high dynamic range images, and the computational time of the method is much lower.