Photoprinting method with means to determing the original light source including the presence or absence of flashes of light

A photoprinting method comprising:

• predefining a plurality of regions corresponding to subject illuminating light on color coordinates, based on three R, G and B color density values of a number of film images;
• determining whether the three R, G and B color density values of a film image to be printed belongs to any of said plurality of predefined regions, and estimating the type of the subject illuminating light from the determination;
• and
• determining the amount of printing exposure according to the estimated type of subject illuminating light to thereby print the film image on a sheet of printing paper according to the determined amount of printing exposure.

A photoprinting method comprising:

• predefining a plurality of regions corresponding to subject illuminating light on color coordinates, based on three R, G and B color density values of a number of film images;
• predetermining at least one reference average intensity for each of said plurality of regions;
• measuring an amount of three R, G and B color density values of a film image when the film image is printed;
• determining whether the measured amount belongs to any of said plurality of predetermined regions;
• reading information indicative of an average intensity of said printing film image, which is obtained upon photography;
• comparing the read average intensity obtained upon the photography and at least one reference average intensity predefined for that region, among the plurality of regions, to which the measured amount of R, G and B color density values belongs, and estimating the type of the subject illuminating light from the result of said comparison;
• and
• determining the amount of printing exposure according to the estimated type of subject illuminating light to thereby print the film image on a sheet of printing paper according to the determined amount of printing exposure.

A photoprinting method of correcting the amount of printing exposure determined abased on three R, G and B color density values of a film image to be printed to thereby print the film image on a sheet of printing paper according to the determined amount of printing, comprising:

• increasing the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure based on information indicative of a distance to a subject and of a photography magnification when the distance to the subject is near and the photography magnification is large;
• setting the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure to a medium value when the distance to the subject is near and the photography magnification is small, and when the distance to the subject is distant and the photography magnification is large;
• and
• reducing the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure when the distance to the subject is distant and the photography magnification is small.

A photoprinting method of correcting the amount of printing exposure determined based on three R, G and B color density values of a film image to be printed to thereby print the film image on a sheet of printing paper according to the determined amount of printing exposure, comprising:

• predefining a plurality of regions corresponding to subject illuminating light on color coordinates, based on three R, G and B color density values of a number of film images;
• determining whether the three R, G and B color density values of a film image to be printed belongs to any of said plurality of regions, and estimating the type of subject illuminating light from the determination;
• varying the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure according to the estimated type of subject illuminating light;
• and
• increasing the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure based on information indicative of a distance to a subject and a photography magnification when the distance to the subject is near and the photography magnification is large, setting the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure to a medium value when the distance to the subject and the photography magnification are near and small, respectively, and when the distance to the subject and the photography magnification are distant and large, respectively, and reducing the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure when the distance to the subject is distant and the photography magnification is small.

A photoprinting method of correcting the amount of printing exposure determined based on three R, G and B color density values of a film image to be printed to thereby print the film image on a sheet of printing paper according to the determined amount of printing exposure, comprising:

• predefining a plurality of regions corresponding to subject illuminating light on color coordinates, based on three R, G and B color density values of a number of film images;
• predetermining at least one reference average intensity for each of said plurality of regions;
• measuring the three R, G and B color density values of a film image when the film image is printed;
• determining whether the measured feature amount belongs to any of said plurality of predetermined regions;
• reading information indicative of an average intensity of said printing film image, which is obtained upon photography;
• comparing the read average intensity obtained upon the photography and at least one reference average intensity predefined for that region, among the plurality of regions, to which the measured amount of R, G and B color density values belongs, and estimating the type of the subject illuminating light from the result of said comparison;
• and
• varying the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure according to the estimated type of subject illuminating light;
• and
• increasing the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure based on information indicative of a distance to a subject and a photography magnification when the distance to the subject is near and the photography magnification is large, setting the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure to a medium value when the distance to the subject and the photography magnification are near and small, respectively, and when the distance to the subject and the photography magnification are distant and large, respectively, and reducing the degree of correction of the amount of printing exposure when the distance to the subject is distant and the photography magnification is small.