1. An automated, computerized method for processing an image, comprising the steps of: providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory; organizing information relevant to the image according to a smooth-illumination constraint enforcing a Laplacian filter response such that ∇ 2 ƒ(x, y)=0; and utilizing the smooth-illumination constraint to generate an intrinsic image from the image, wherein the organizing includes applying the Laplacian filter response, ∇ 2 ƒ(x, y)=0, to a log-illumination image, wherein the organizing includes approximating second derivatives in the x and y directions to represent ∇ 2 ƒ(x, y) with discrete centered differences to provide a Laplacian filtering kernel, wherein the organizing includes convolving the Laplacian filtering kernel with ƒ(x, y) to develop a linear system of constraints, wherein the linear system of constraints is developed by applying the Laplacian filtering kernel to log-image data to generate a right-hand side of the linear system of constraints and building a left-hand matrix enforcing the same linear filtering relationship on unknown values.