1. A method for identifying platelets within a whole blood sample, comprising: adding at least one colorant to the whole blood sample, which colorant is operable to tag platelets; disposing the blood sample into a chamber defined by at least one transparent panel; imaging at least a portion of the sample quiescently residing within the chamber to create at least one image comprised of incremental units, each unit having an intensity value; and identifying one or more platelet candidates within the image based on per unit intensity value differences in local regions within the image; identifying at least one platelet from the identified platelet candidates using an analyzer adapted to identify the platelet based on quantitatively determinable features associated with the per unit intensity values, and based on a directional contrast of per unit intensity values extending outwardly from a peak intensity.