sentences: We have analyzed the properties of the HSV (Hue, Saturation and Value) color space with emphasis on the visual perception of the variation in Hue, Saturation and Intensity values of an image pixel. We extract pixel features by either choosing the Hue or the Intensity as the dominant property based on the Saturation value of a pixel. The feature extraction method has been applied for both image segmentation as well as histogram generation applications – two distinct approaches to content based image retrieval (CBIR). Segmentation using this method shows better identification of objects in an image. The histogram retains a uniform color transition that enables us to do a window-based smoothing during retrieval. The results have been compared with those generated using the RGB color space.