A processor implemented face verifying method comprising: detecting a face region from an input image (420, 460) and obtaining a face image (425, 465) representing the detected face region; generating a synthesized face image (430, 470) by replacing image information of a region corresponding to a masking region (435, 475) of the face image with image information of a reference image wherein the region corresponding to a masking region of the face image is determined from the face image; extracting one or more face features from the face image and the synthesized face image; performing a verification operation with respect to the one or more face features and predetermined registration information; and indicating whether verification of the input image is successful based on a result of the performed verification operation, wherein extracting one or more face features from the face image and the synthesized face image comprises: combining image information of the face image with image information of the synthesized face image, and inputting the result of the combining to a feature extractor for extracting said one or more face features, wherein the feature extractor is further configured to subtract the image information of the reference image from the inputted image information; or extracting, using a first feature extractor, a first face feature from a first difference image between the face image and the reference image and extracting, using a second feature extractor, a second face feature from a second difference image between the synthesized image and the reference image and determining said one or more face features based on a combination of the first and second face feature, wherein the determined masking region (435, 475) corresponds to a determined occluding object included in the face region or corresponds to a region for the face region that is predicted or predetermined to correspond to known potential occluding objects included in face regions. detecting a face region from an input image (420, 460) and obtaining a face image (425, 465) representing the detected face region; generating a synthesized face image (430, 470) by replacing image information of a region corresponding to a masking region (435, 475) of the face image with image information of a reference image wherein the region corresponding to a masking region of the face image is determined from the face image; extracting one or more face features from the face image and the synthesized face image; performing a verification operation with respect to the one or more face features and predetermined registration information; and indicating whether verification of the input image is successful based on a result of the performed verification operation, wherein extracting one or more face features from the face image and the synthesized face image comprises: combining image information of the face image with image information of the synthesized face image, and inputting the result of the combining to a feature extractor for extracting said one or more face features, wherein the feature extractor is further configured to subtract the image information of the reference image from the inputted image information; or extracting, using a first feature extractor, a first face feature from a first difference image between the face image and the reference image and extracting, using a second feature extractor, a second face feature from a second difference image between the synthesized image and the reference image and determining said one or more face features based on a combination of the first and second face feature, combining image information of the face image with image information of the synthesized face image, and inputting the result of the combining to a feature extractor for extracting said one or more face features, wherein the feature extractor is further configured to subtract the image information of the reference image from the inputted image information; or extracting, using a first feature extractor, a first face feature from a first difference image between the face image and the reference image and extracting, using a second feature extractor, a second face feature from a second difference image between the synthesized image and the reference image and determining said one or more face features based on a combination of the first and second face feature, wherein the determined masking region (435, 475) corresponds to a determined occluding object included in the face region or corresponds to a region for the face region that is predicted or predetermined to correspond to known potential occluding objects included in face regions.