1. A method for recognizing an unknown face in an image, comprising a processor for performing steps of the method, comprising the steps of: fitting a morphable model having shape and pose parameters to an unknown face in an image to construct a three-dimensional model of the face; extracting texture from the unknown face in the image using the three-dimensional model; projecting the shape and texture into a bilinear illumination model to generate illumination bases for the unknown face in the image; and comparing the illumination bases for the unknown face in the image to illumination bases of each of a plurality of bilinear illumination models of known faces to identify the unknown face in the image.