In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, determining log chromaticity representations for the image, clustering the log chromaticity representations as a function of an index, to provide clusters of similar log chromaticity representations and identifying regions of uniform reflectance in the image as a function of the clusters of similar log chromaticity representations.