1. A method for displaying a color image comprising: (a) receiving an image having a first dynamic range; (b) modifying said image with a computing device to a second dynamic range, wherein said second dynamic range is greater than said first dynamic range; wherein said modification includes the steps of: (i) converting a received said image which is in a substantially gamma domain to a substantially linear luminance domain; (ii) processing at least two color channels of said image, in said substantially linear luminance domain to assign a first luminance value as a maximum diffuse luminance of said image; (iii) said modifying is based upon a scaling operation that scales luminance values using a pair of linear functions each linear in a luminance domain of said image and joined together at a second luminance value of said substantially linear luminance domain in the respectively processed said at least two color channels, where said second luminance value is less than said first luminance value by an amount calculated as a function of said first luminance value; and (c) displaying said modified image on a display.