Abstract: A method for reducing image noise in a digital image including establishing image data of image pixel values; specifying a local virtual surface patch; fitting the local virtual surface patch to the image data; using the local virtual surface patch to estimate a palliative value of at least one pixel in the region of the local virtual surface patch; replacing an original pixel value with the palliative value.

Abstract: A method of correcting image saturation is performed by defining saturated colors in a chromaticity color space; and deriving an overall correction of the saturation of colors in the image using the defined saturation of these colors in conjunction with a table of corrections indexed by hue and lightness. This process has a unique attribute of being able to automatically decrease saturation in regions of an image where oversaturation is detected.