Table-top computed lighting for practical digital photography

ABSTRACT

We apply simplified image-based lighting methods to reduce the equipment, cost, time, and specialized skills required for high-quality photographic lighting of desktop-sized static objects such as museum artifacts. We place the object and a computer-steered moving-head spotlight inside a simple foam-core enclosure, and use a camera to quickly record low-resolution photos as the light scans the box interior. Optimization guided by interactive user sketching selects a small set of frames whose weighted sum best matches the target image. The system then repeats the lighting used in each of these frames, and constructs a high resolution result from re-photographed basis images. Unlike previous image-based relighting efforts, our method requires only one light source, yet can achieve high resolution light positioning to avoid multiple sharp shadows. A reduced version uses only a hand-held light, and may be suitable for battery-powered, field photography equipment that fits in a backpack.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
        I.2.10 Vision and Scene Understanding
            Subjects: Intensity, color, photometry, and thresholding

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.3 Picture/Image Generation
      I.3.7 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Theory