Local shape approximation from shading

Shading can be used as an independent cue for exact shape recovery, or it can be used as a supplementary cue for shape interpolation between features whose depths are known from other cues. Exact shape cannot be inferred from a local analysis of shading. However, for shape interpolation a crude local approximation may be sufficient. This paper explores the limits of such local approximations that are easy to compute. In particular, the shape of shading is used to approximate the surface in areas of monotonic change of intensity. This analysis is accompanied by a method for computing the direction of a single-point light source from the shading on occluding contours. A qualitative classification of shape near shading singularities is also discussed.