1. An automated, computerized method for processing an image, comprising the steps of: providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory; assembling a feature vector for the image file, the feature vector containing information regarding a likelihood that a selected pair of regions of the image file are of a same texture; providing a classifier derived from a computer learning technique; computing a classification score for the selected pair of regions of the image file, as a function of the feature vector and the classifier; classifying the regions as being of the same texture, as a function of the classification score; when a classification score indicates regions as being of the same texture, defining a constraint between the regions; and performing an optimization operation as a function of the constraint to generate an intrinsic image corresponding to the image, the intrinsic image comprising a representation of one of material or illumination, expressed as a separate, multi-band representation for the one of material or illumination, independent of the other of the material or illumination, wherein each band corresponds to a segment of the electro-magnetic spectrum.