Large-scale failures of f 2 a scaling in natural image spectra

Several studies have demonstrated that the power spectra of natural image ensembles scale as f . A stronger claim that has been made is that the power spectra of single natural images typically also scale as f . Results are presented that challenge this latter claim. The results are based on a method for estimating large-scale structure in single images that compares aliasing artifacts produced by image windows of different shape. Failures of f 2a scaling are found at large scales in many natural images. These failures cannot be accounted for by f 2a scaling models such as a linear superposition model or a model based on two-dimensional occlusions in the image plane. The results imply that claims about f 2a scaling in single natural images have been exaggerated. The results also offer insight into why such failures of f 2a scaling occur. © 2000 Optical Society of America [S0740-3232(00)00301-X] OCIS codes: 100.2960, 100.2000, 070.2590, 070.4790, 330.5000, 330.6130.

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