import sys
    import numpy
    import time
    import picamera
    import cv2

    with picamera.PiCamera() as camera:
        camera.resolution = (1280, 720)
        camera.framerate = 30
    # Wait for analog gain to settle on a higher value than 1
        while camera.analog_gain <= 1:
        time.sleep(0.1)
    # Now fix the values
    camera.shutter_speed = camera.exposure_speed
    camera.exposure_mode = 'off'
    g = camera.awb_gains
    camera.awb_mode = 'off'
    assert isinstance(g, object)
    camera.awb_gains = g

   #Capture the actual image we want to test
   camera_capture = get_image()
   file = "/home/pi/Desktop/test_image.jpg"


   cv2.imwrite(file, camera_capture)

   # You'll want to release the camera, otherwise you won't be able to
   #create a new
   # capture object until your script exits
   del (camera)


   #read the image captured by the camera
   myimg = cv2.imread('test_image.jpg')

   #converts the image pixels from RGB to LAB
   lab_image = cv2.cvtColor(myimg, cv2.COLOR_BGR2LAB)

   #split the channels of of the converted LAB color values
   l_channel,a_channel,b_channel = cv2.split(lab_image)

   #gets the average value of L
   avg_color_per_row_l = numpy.average(l_channel, axis=0)
   avg_color_l = numpy.average(avg_color_per_row_l, axis = 0)
   print ('The L* value is : ',avg_color_l)