IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM FOR CORRECTING COLOR BALANCE OF OUTPUT IMAGES

An image processing method comprising the steps of: (a) on the basis of image data expressing a single original image recorded on a photographic film, determining an image characteristic value of the original image and, on the basis of the determined image characteristic value, extracting from the image data gray candidate pixels which have a high possibility of being pixels corresponding to gray portions of an object, the determination and extraction being carried out for each of a plurality of original images recorded on the photographic film; and (b) estimating gray balance on the basis of distribution on a predetermined coordinate system of a group of gray candidate pixels which group comprises the gray candidate pixels respectively extracted from the plurality of original images. Accordingly, the gray balance is estimated in an accurate and stable manner from the image data of the original image recorded on the photographic film.