As part of my research on image segmentation, I have explored different methods for selecting areas in an image. Recently, I found a statistical color model based upon Lambertain surface reflectance. I have implemented this model using OpenCV 2.1. This article presents the results of some experiments I have run, along with my personal feelings about the model. At the end of the article, you will find links to the source code and to the research papers I used.
A blog by Emmanuel Goossaert