Lenna

For other uses, see Lenna (disambiguation).

Image of Lena Forsén used in many image processing experiments. (Click on the image to access the actual 512×512px standard test version.)

Lenna (or Lena) is a standard test image used in the field of digital image processing, starting in 1973.[1] It is a picture of the Swedish model Lena Forsén, shot by photographer Dwight Hooker and cropped from the centerfold of the November 1972 issue of Playboy magazine. The image has attracted controversy in recent years because of its subject matter,[2] and many journals have deemed it inappropriate and discouraged its use, while others have banned it from publication outright.[3][4][5][6] Forsén herself has called for it to be retired, saying "It's time I retired from tech."[7]

The spelling "Lenna" came from the model's desire to encourage the proper pronunciation of her name. "I didn't want to be called Leena [English: /ˈliːnə/]," she explained.[8]

  1. ^ "Playboy Centrefold Photo Shrunk to Width of Human Hair". BBC News Online. 14 August 2012. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Eismann was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "SIIMS – Instructions for Authors". Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  4. ^ "A note on the Lena image". Nature Nanotechnology. 13 (12): 1087. 2018. Bibcode:2018NatNa..13Q1087.. doi:10.1038/s41565-018-0337-2. PMID 30523301. S2CID 54522374.
  5. ^ "Express Journals Online Style Guide: OPTICS EXPRESS, BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS, OPTICAL MATERIALS EXPRESS". Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  6. ^ Edwards, Benj (29 March 2024). "Playboy image from 1972 gets ban from IEEE computer journals". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 30 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Kinstler, Linda (31 January 2019). "Finding Lena, the Patron Saint of JPEGS". Wired. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2019. IPA pronunciation of Leena inserted into the quotation in brackets for clarity. /ˈliːnə/ is a common English pronunciation of the name Lena. The quotation reads, "At her suggestion, the editors [of Playboy] spelled her first name with an extra 'n,' to encourage proper pronunciation. 'I didn't want to be called Leena," she explained.'