High Dynamic Range in Cultural Heritage Applications

Abstract

High dynamic range (HDR) technology enables the capture, storage, transmission and display of real-world lighting at a high precision as opposed to traditional low dynamic range (LDR) imaging. One of HDR’s main features is its ability to reproduce very bright and very dark areas simultaneously. Dynamic range describes the span between these extrema in the brightness scale. HDR research investigates the generation, capturing, processing, transmission, storage and reproduction of HDR content. Cultural heritage represents our legacy that must be passed on to future generations. As it is increasingly threatened with deterioration, destruction and disappearance, its documentation, conservation and presentation is of high importance. Given the real-world dynamic range and the limitations of conventional capture and display technology, HDR imaging represents an invaluable tool for accurate documentation, virtual reconstruction and visualisation of cultural heritage. HDR is used by academics, museums, and media to visualise the appearance of sites in various periods in time. Physically-based 3D virtual reconstructions are used for studying existing or ruined cultural heritage environments. This in turn enables archaeologists to interpret the past and deduce new historical knowledge. In this chapter we present the HDR pipeline, along with its use for cultural heritage preservation, recreation and presentation.