A method of enhancing the contrast of an image that is represented by a digital signal wherein - at least one approximation image is created at one or multiple scales by applying a multi-scale decomposition algorithm to said image, an approximation image at a scale representing the grey values of said image in which all details at that scale have been omitted and represented by a corresponding detail image, - translation difference images are created by pixel-wise subtracting the values of an approximation image at scale s and the values of a translated version of said approximation image, - a non-linear conversion operation is applied to the values of said translation difference images to generate enhanced translation difference images, - at least one enhanced center difference image at a specific scale is computed by combining enhanced translation difference images at that scale or a smaller scale with weights w i,j wherein said weights w i,j are selected in accordance with said decomposition algorithm such that, if said enhancement by non-linear modification were not performed, an equivalent of a multi-scale decomposition of said image would be obtained such that said at least one center difference image would equal the detail image at said specific scale, - an enhanced image is computed by applying the image reconstruction algorithm which reverses said image decomposition algorithm to the image decomposition that results after said detail image at said specific scale has been replaced by said at least one enhanced center difference images, characterised in that said non-linear conversion operation of the values of the translation difference images is steered by the values of an orientation map which comprises for each pixel on a specific scale a local direction of interest. - at least one approximation image is created at one or multiple scales by applying a multi-scale decomposition algorithm to said image, an approximation image at a scale representing the grey values of said image in which all details at that scale have been omitted and represented by a corresponding detail image, - translation difference images are created by pixel-wise subtracting the values of an approximation image at scale s and the values of a translated version of said approximation image, - a non-linear conversion operation is applied to the values of said translation difference images to generate enhanced translation difference images, - at least one enhanced center difference image at a specific scale is computed by combining enhanced translation difference images at that scale or a smaller scale with weights w i,j wherein said weights w i,j are selected in accordance with said decomposition algorithm such that, if said enhancement by non-linear modification were not performed, an equivalent of a multi-scale decomposition of said image would be obtained such that said at least one center difference image would equal the detail image at said specific scale, - an enhanced image is computed by applying the image reconstruction algorithm which reverses said image decomposition algorithm to the image decomposition that results after said detail image at said specific scale has been replaced by said at least one enhanced center difference images, characterised in that said non-linear conversion operation of the values of the translation difference images is steered by the values of an orientation map which comprises for each pixel on a specific scale a local direction of interest.