1. An automated, computerized method for processing an image, comprising the steps of: providing an image file depicting the image, in a computer memory; identifying information in the image file relevant to a logical deduction regarding material and illumination aspects of the image, the information being based upon spatio-spectral aspects of the image and constituents of color depicted in the image; defining a constraint as a function of the information, wherein the constraint comprises a constraint based upon a tone mapping of the image expressed by log t_R +log t_G +log t_B =V, where t_R is an average for a red channel of material for pixels of a token t, t_G is an average for a green channel of material for pixels of the token t, t_B is an average for material for a blue channel of pixels of the token t, and where V is an average for a calculated intensity value for the token t, derived from the tone mapping; and utilizing the constraint in an image segregation operation.