A method of enhancing the tonal and spatial characteristics of a digital image, includes receiving a source digital image including a plurality of pixels; producing a tone scale function that can be used to enhance the tonal characteristics of the source digital image; classifying the tone scale function into one of two or more categories, wherein the classification categories include expansive and compressive; and using the tone scale function, the source digital image, and a first spatial filter to produce an enhanced digital image when the tone scale function has been classified as compressive, and using the tone scale function, the source digital image, and a second spatial filter to produce an enhanced digital image when the tone scale function has been classified as expansive.