Optical filters that enhance image quality by exploiting differences in the wavelength dependence of the spectral power distribution (SPD) and the degree of polarization between elements in a scene in order to preserve, and more preferably enhance, color-contrast between one or more salient objects in the scene and/or a salient object and a background. The higher degree of polarization may be associated with the background or the one or more salient objects. Color contrast is associated with one or more of a difference in saturation, a difference in hue, and a difference in lightness.