Methods and apparatus for enhancing optical images and parametric databases are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes identifying an image and deconstructing the image into a frequency-based spatial domain representation utilizing a pyramidal data structure including a plurality of levels on a frequency-by-frequency basis. The method also includes modifying the frequency-based spatial domain representation to generate a modified frequency-based spatial domain representation, reconstructing an enhanced image from the modified frequency-based spatial domain representation, and returning the enhanced image. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a deconstructor that deconstructs an image into a frequency-based spatial domain representation utilizing a pyramidal data structure including a plurality of levels on a frequency-by-frequency basis and a modifier that modifies the frequency-based spatial domain representation to generate a modified representation. The apparatus also includes a reconstructor that reconstructs an enhanced image from the modified representation and returns the enhanced image.