1. An automated, computerized method for processing an image, comprising the steps of: at a computer system, receiving an image recorded at and transmitted from a remote source; at the computer system, processing the transmitted image, for segregation of the transmitted image into a corresponding intrinsic image, the processing of the transmitted image being carried out by executing a spatio-spectral operator/constraint/solver model utilizing spectral relationships among contiguous pixels, in terms of color bands, and the spatial extent of the pixel spectral characteristics relevant to a single material depicted in the image or illumination flux effecting the image for image segregation such that the corresponding intrinsic image comprises 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; and at the computer system, processing the corresponding intrinsic image to perform a preselected task, for a result.