diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailimages/backends/base.py b/wagtail/wagtailimages/backends/base.py
index 8aa67ebb37..baa156a81a 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailimages/backends/base.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailimages/backends/base.py
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ class BaseImageBackend(object):
         image_mode, image_data = self.image_data_as_rgb(image)
 
         # Use feature detection to find a focal point
-        focal_point = feature_detection.get_focal_point(image.size, image_mode, image_data)
+        feature_detector = feature_detection.FeatureDetector(image.size, image_mode, image_data)
+        focal_point = feature_detector.get_focal_point()
         if focal_point:
             return self.crop_to_point(image, size, focal_point)
 
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailimages/utils/feature_detection.py b/wagtail/wagtailimages/utils/feature_detection.py
index daf34c24aa..6381fabf7a 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailimages/utils/feature_detection.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailimages/utils/feature_detection.py
@@ -13,69 +13,72 @@ except ImportError:
         opencv_available = False
 
 
-from wagtail.wagtailimages.utils.focal_point import FocalPoint, combine_points
+from wagtail.wagtailimages.utils.focal_point import FocalPoint, combine_focal_points
 
 
-def get_cv_gray_image(image_size, image_mode, image_data):
-    image = cv.CreateImageHeader(image_size, cv.IPL_DEPTH_8U, 3)
-    cv.SetData(image, image_data)
+class FeatureDetector(object):
+    def __init__(self, image_size, image_mode, image_data):
+        self.image_size = image_size
+        self.image_mode = image_mode
+        self.image_data = image_data
 
-    gray_image = cv.CreateImage(image_size, 8, 1)
-    convert_mode = getattr(cv, 'CV_%s2GRAY' % image_mode)
-    cv.CvtColor(image, gray_image, convert_mode)
+    def opencv_grey_image(self):
+        image = cv.CreateImageHeader(self.image_size, cv.IPL_DEPTH_8U, 3)
+        cv.SetData(image, self.image_data)
 
-    return gray_image
+        gray_image = cv.CreateImage(self.image_size, 8, 1)
+        convert_mode = getattr(cv, 'CV_%s2GRAY' % self.image_mode)
+        cv.CvtColor(image, gray_image, convert_mode)
 
+        return gray_image
 
-def detect_features(image_size, image_mode, image_data):
-    if opencv_available:
-        image = get_cv_gray_image(image_size, image_mode, image_data)
-        rows = image_size[0]
-        cols = image_size[1]
+    def detect_features(self):
+        if opencv_available:
+            image = self.opencv_grey_image()
+            rows = self.image_size[0]
+            cols = self.image_size[1]
 
-        eig_image = cv.CreateMat(rows, cols, cv.CV_32FC1)
-        temp_image = cv.CreateMat(rows, cols, cv.CV_32FC1)
-        points = cv.GoodFeaturesToTrack(image, eig_image, temp_image, 20, 0.04, 1.0, useHarris=False)
+            eig_image = cv.CreateMat(rows, cols, cv.CV_32FC1)
+            temp_image = cv.CreateMat(rows, cols, cv.CV_32FC1)
+            points = cv.GoodFeaturesToTrack(image, eig_image, temp_image, 20, 0.04, 1.0, useHarris=False)
 
-        if points:
-            return [FocalPoint(x, y, 1) for x, y in points]
+            if points:
+                return [FocalPoint(x, y, 1) for x, y in points]
 
-    return []
+        return []
 
+    def detect_faces(self):
+        if opencv_available:
+            cascade_filename = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'face_detection', 'haarcascade_frontalface_alt2.xml')
+            cascade = cv.Load(cascade_filename)
+            image = self.opencv_grey_image()
 
-def detect_faces(image_size, image_mode, image_data):
-    if opencv_available:
-        cascade_filename = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'face_detection', 'haarcascade_frontalface_alt2.xml')
-        cascade = cv.Load(cascade_filename)
-        image = get_cv_gray_image(image_size, image_mode, image_data)
+            cv.EqualizeHist(image, image)
 
-        cv.EqualizeHist(image, image)
+            min_size = (40, 40)
+            haar_scale = 1.1
+            min_neighbors = 3
+            haar_flags = 0
 
-        min_size = (40, 40)
-        haar_scale = 1.1
-        min_neighbors = 3
-        haar_flags = 0
+            faces = cv.HaarDetectObjects(
+                image, cascade, cv.CreateMemStorage(0),
+                haar_scale, min_neighbors, haar_flags, min_size
+            )
 
-        faces = cv.HaarDetectObjects(
-            image, cascade, cv.CreateMemStorage(0),
-            haar_scale, min_neighbors, haar_flags, min_size
-        )
+            if faces:
+                return [FocalPoint.from_square(face[0][0], face[0][1], face[0][2], face[0][3]) for face in faces]
+
+        return []
+
+    def get_focal_point(self):
+        # Face detection
+        faces = self.detect_faces()
 
         if faces:
-            return [FocalPoint.from_square(face[0][0], face[0][1], face[0][2], face[0][3]) for face in faces]
+            return combine_focal_points(faces)
 
-    return []
+        # Feature detection
+        features = self.detect_features()
 
-
-def get_focal_point(image_size, image_mode, image_data):
-    # Face detection
-    faces = feature_detection.detect_faces(image_size, image_mode, image_data)
-
-    if faces:
-        return combine_points(faces)
-
-    # Feature detection
-    features = feature_detection.detect_features(image_size, image_mode, image_data)
-
-    if features:
-        return focal_point.combine_points(features)
+        if features:
+            return combine_focal_points(features)