1. A method in a computer system, the method comprising: receiving an infrared (IR) image comprising IR image data values within a first range, wherein the IR image data values of the IR image represent IR radiation emitted from an observed scene; displaying the IR image on a display at least by mapping IR image data values of the IR image to a first palette of color or grayscale representations according to a first relationship, wherein the first palette comprises a first finite set of color or grayscale representations selected from a color model, and wherein the first relationship defines mappings from different IR image data values within the first range to different color or grayscale representations in the first finite set; receiving, as a user input signal via an input device, a user indication indicating a local area of interest in the displayed IR image; determining a first portion of the IR image corresponding to pixels selected from the IR image to represent the local area of interest in the displayed IR image based on the user input signal; determining minimum and maximum IR image data values in the first portion of the IR image; determining a second palette comprising a second finite set of color or grayscale representations selected from the color model and a second relationship that defines mappings from different IR image data values within a second range to different color or grayscale representations in the second finite set based on the minimum and maximum IR image data values of the first portion of the IR image, wherein the second range is a subset of the first range, wherein a first portion of the first finite set of color or grayscale representations and a second portion of the second finite set of color or grayscale representations are non-overlapping, wherein at least one of the first finite set or the second finite set comprises color representations, and wherein the second relationship is different from the first relationship; and generating an augmented image from the IR image at least by mapping the IR image data values of the first portion of the IR image to the second palette according to the second relationship and mapping the IR image data values of a second portion of the IR image that does not correspond to the local area of interest to the first palette according to the first relationship to provide improved visualization of the IR image data values within the local area of interest.