An apparatus and a method as well as a storage device of the present
invention transform intensity levels with consideration of both features
of the intensity levels in an input image and human visual
characteristics, wherein the present invention includes the steps of
inputting wider dynamic range digital image data, generating a histogram
of intensity levels of the image data, generating a histogram
equalization LUT by cumulating the histogram, generating a visual
characteristics LUT with reference to the histogram equalization LUT,
generating a combined LUT by combining the histogram equalization LUT and
the visual characteristics LUT, and correcting the image data.