1. An apparatus comprising: a receiver configured to receive image information comprising image data for two or more spectral bands; and a processor comprising: a band equalization module configured to equalize an original image obtained from the image information across spectral bands within the data using a gain factor for each set of image data associated with a given spectral band of the two or more spectral bands to produce an equalized image to facilitate color separation of one or more illuminants of the scene; a channel balance gains calculation module configured to compute a balance gain for each spectral band in the equalized image; and a channel balance gains application module configured to apply the balance gain for each spectral band to the original image to produce a balanced image such that the neutrality of the balanced image is representative of the scene.