In this paper we propose a self-adapting image sensing scheme that compresses a wide dynamic range scene so that important visual characteristics are preserved throughout the perceived dynamic range. The exposure times of sensors are made adaptive to local illumination conditions while signal is being integrated. Resistive filtering with locally adaptive resistance values is performed to extract the local illuminance. The resistances need to be a adaptive only by the neighbor difference since at the sampling instant the filter always resides on the same operating point. Also, the accuracy of the filter does not need to match that of a high dynamic range input, but the low dynamic range reflectance. The relaxed accuracy requirements make possible a dense analog implementation of the filter. A conceptual schematic of a circuit realization of the scheme is shown and Matlab simulations are used to illustrate the operation.