An image processing apparatus comprises: an image generation unit configured to generate one or more reduced images based on an input image, the input image and the reduced images forming hierarchized images; a gain map generation unit configured to generate a gain map for each hierarchical level by applying a first tone characteristic to each of the hierarchized images and also further applying a second tone characteristic to at least one of the reduced images; and a composing unit configured to compose the created gain maps to generate a composed gain map, wherein the gain map generation unit applies, for each subject region, the first tone characteristic and the second tone characteristic to the at least one of the reduced images, and wherein the first tone characteristic and the second tone characteristic are mutually different tone characteristics.