We present a new approach to model edges in the image. The method is divided in two parts: the localisation of possible edge points and their valuation. The first part is based on the theory of minimal paths, where the selection of an energy and a set of sources provides a partition of the domain. Then, the valuation is obtained by the creation of a contrast driven hierarchy of partitions. The method uses only the original image and supplies a set of closed contours that preserve semantically important characteristics of edges.