1. An automated, computerized method for processing an image, comprising the steps of: providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory; providing a multi-class classifier trained to identify edges in an image as a function of illumination effects in the image including identifying whether the edges have a first illumination effect or a second illumination effect; utilizing the multi-class classifier to automatically label edges in the image, the automatically labeling including labeling the edges having the first illumination effect to indicate the edges having the first illumination effect are to be removed from the image, the automatically labeling including labeling the edges having the second illumination effect to indicate the edges having the second illumination effect are to be reduced in the image, and removing the edges having the first illumination effect from the image and reducing the edges having the second illumination effect in the image, wherein the reducing the edges having the second illumination in the image includes reducing contrast at the edges to eliminate the illumination effect while preserving effects that provide an indication of a material/reflectance change in the image at the edges.