A method of object identification comprising, for an image in which an object is to be identified, determining for each of a set of location in the direction in which the gradient of intensity change to an adjacent location is greatest together with the magnitude of that gradient, modifying the gradient magnitude using a nonlinear function, the modified gradient and the associated direction for the set of location providing a vector representative of the image, and comparing the vector with a previously generated statistical model which provides identification of the object.