A method for enhancing the quality of a digital image by using a single user-defined parameter. A virtual image is created based on the single user-defined parameter and the original digital image. An adaptive contrast enhancement algorithm operates on a logarithmically compressed version of the virtual image to produce adaptive contrast values for each pixel in the virtual image. A dynamic range adjustment algorithm is used to generate logarithmic enhanced pixels based on the adaptive contrast values and the pixels of the logarithmically compressed version of the virtual image. The logarithmic enhanced pixels are exponentially expanded and scaled to produce a compensated digital image.