The aim of this paper is to investigate the geometrical behavior of the TVL1 model used in image processing, by making use of the notion of Cheeger sets. This mathematical concept was recently related to the celebrated Rudin-Osher-Fatemi image restoration model, yielding important advances in both fields. We provide the reader with a geometrical characterization of the TVL1 model. We show that, in the convex case, exact solutions of the TVL1 problem are given by an opening followed by a simple test over the ratio perimeter/area. Shapes remain or suddenly vanish depending on this test. As a result of our theoritical study, we suggest a new and efficient numerical scheme to apply the model to digital images. As a by-product, we justify the use of the TVL1 model for image decomposition, by establishing a connection between the model and morphological granulometry. Eventually, we propose an extension of TVL1 into an adaptive framework, in which we derive some theoretical results.