Automatic real-time composition feedback for still and video cameras

An image capturing device comprising:

• an image sensor configured to receive a proposed image;
• a processor, coupled to the image sensor, wherein the processor is configured to determine a plurality of image-based characteristics in response to the proposed image, wherein the processor is configured to evaluate an indicia for the proposed image in response to the plurality of image-based characteristics, wherein the processor is configured to output an indication of the indicia to a user associated with the image capturing device, wherein evaluating the indicia for the proposed image includes taking into account external characteristics that are treated as independent of pixel color values of the proposed image, and wherein the external characteristics comprise distillations of factors from a training set of photographs, and wherein at least some plurality of the training set of photographs have associated therewith a rating and one of the external characteristics is an estimated measure of the rating that would be applied to the proposed image given the training set and their ratings;
• a shutter portion, coupled to the processor, configured to direct capturing of a captured image with the image sensor, in response to an image capture signal from the user;
• and
• a memory coupled to the image sensor, wherein the memory is configured to store the captured image in the memory.

A method for operating a computing device, the computing device including a processor, and a memory, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of images from a user;
• determining a respective plurality of image-based characteristics using the processor in response to the plurality of images;
• evaluating a respective plurality of indicia for the plurality of images using the processor in response to the respective plurality of image-based characteristics, wherein evaluating the respective plurality of indicia for the plurality of images includes taking into account external characteristics that are treated as independent the pixel color values of the proposed image, and wherein the external characteristics comprise distillations of factors from a training set of photographs, and wherein at least some plurality of the training set of photographs have associated therewith a rating and one of the external characteristics is an estimated measure of the rating that would be applied to the proposed image given the training set and their ratings;
• prioritizing the plurality of images into an image order in response to the respective plurality of indicia;
• and
• outputting a representation of the plurality of images to the user in response to the image order.