A method for improving the appearance of image data provided at a low bit depth representation, the method comprising: identifying pixels in a saturation region wherein a color model value of each individual pixel in the saturation region is one of: above an upper Saturation threshold and below a lower saturation threshold; adjusting the color model value of each of the individual pixels in the saturation region by a corresponding adjustment; wherein adjusting the color model values comprises determining the corresponding adjustment for each of the individual pixels in the saturation region by: identifying a two-dimensional characteristic of pixels within the image data, the two-dimensional characteristic related to the saturation region; determining a magnitude of the corresponding adjustment to each individual pixels in the saturation region based, at least in part, on the identified two-dimensional characteristic; and converting the low bit depth representation of the image data to a higher bit depth representation, thereby accommodating the adjusted color model values of the pixels in the saturation region using the higher dynamic range of the higher bit depth representation and thereby improving the appearance of the higher bit depth representation of the image data; wherein the identified two-dimensional characteristic comprises a presence of a lens flare feature and the corresponding adjustment for each of the individual pixels in the saturation region is based, at least in part, on a model of the lens flare feature. identifying pixels in a saturation region wherein a color model value of each individual pixel in the saturation region is one of: above an upper Saturation threshold and below a lower saturation threshold; adjusting the color model value of each of the individual pixels in the saturation region by a corresponding adjustment; wherein adjusting the color model values comprises determining the corresponding adjustment for each of the individual pixels in the saturation region by: identifying a two-dimensional characteristic of pixels within the image data, the two-dimensional characteristic related to the saturation region; determining a magnitude of the corresponding adjustment to each individual pixels in the saturation region based, at least in part, on the identified two-dimensional characteristic; and converting the low bit depth representation of the image data to a higher bit depth representation, thereby accommodating the adjusted color model values of the pixels in the saturation region using the higher dynamic range of the higher bit depth representation and thereby improving the appearance of the higher bit depth representation of the image data; wherein the identified two-dimensional characteristic comprises a presence of a lens flare feature and the corresponding adjustment for each of the individual pixels in the saturation region is based, at least in part, on a model of the lens flare feature. identifying a two-dimensional characteristic of pixels within the image data, the two-dimensional characteristic related to the saturation region; determining a magnitude of the corresponding adjustment to each individual pixels in the saturation region based, at least in part, on the identified two-dimensional characteristic; and converting the low bit depth representation of the image data to a higher bit depth representation, thereby accommodating the adjusted color model values of the pixels in the saturation region using the higher dynamic range of the higher bit depth representation and thereby improving the appearance of the higher bit depth representation of the image data; wherein the identified two-dimensional characteristic comprises a presence of a lens flare feature and the corresponding adjustment for each of the individual pixels in the saturation region is based, at least in part, on a model of the lens flare feature.