Color Flows: A Joint Statistical Model of Color Change

The Problem: In this research, we address the problem of whether two given images are digital photographs of the same scene under different photic parameter settings, or whether they are different physical scenes altogether. To do this, we develop a statistical linear model of color change space, by observing how the colors in static images change under naturally occurring lighting changes. This model describes how colors change jointly under typical (statistically common) photic parameter changes. Then, given a pair of images, we ask whether we can describe the difference between the two images, to within some tolerance, using the statistical color change model. If so, we conclude that the images are probably of the same scene.