A technique for image processing, comprising: receiving input image data, wherein the image data is companded into a first bit depth, wherein the image data includes incomplete color values for pixels of the image data, and wherein the image data is associated with a first color space, interpolating the image data to generate color values for the incomplete color values for pixels of the image data, expanding the image data from the first bit depth to a second bit depth, wherein the color values of the expanded image data have a linear dynamic range, and wherein the second bit depth is higher than the first bit depth, converting the color values for pixels of the expanded image data from the first color space to a second color space, and compressing the color values for pixels of the image data to a third bit depth, the third bit depth lower than the second bit depth, and wherein the compressed color values have a nonlinear dynamic range.