We derive a criterion for the selection of random field models for color
images. Models are defined in terms of sets of neighbors that
characterize interactions within and between bands of a color image. A
Bayesian approach is used to select from a set of models the model which
maximizes the posterior probability of the model given the image data.
For efficiency, maximum likelihood parameter estimates are computed in the
frequency domain. The selection of appropriate random field models is
particularly important for color images because of the large number of
possible within-band and between-band interactions. We demonstrate the
usefulness of the method for designing image models for unsupervised color
image segmentation.