Patent ID: 7499076

Claim:
A make-up counseling apparatus comprising: a digital camera for photographing a subject; a strobe for illuminating the subject; a distance sensor for measuring a distance to the subject; color balance adjustment means for adjusting a color balance of the digital camera so that a difference in color between color values of a color sample image of predetermined colors obtained from a color correction chart having a plurality of color samples placed at approximately equal distances illuminated by the strobe light and photographed by the digital camera, and color values of color samples of the predetermined colors measured under previously predetermined conditions is within a stipulated range of values; conversion formula calculation means for obtaining a conversion formula for converting the color values of the color sample image obtained from photographing the color correction chart with the digital camera into L, a, b values of the color samples measured under previously predetermined conditions, wherein L, a, b values are a color space expressed as metric lightness (L), metric hue angle (a), and metric chroma (b); deviation calculation means for obtaining a deviation between the color values of the color sample image obtained from photographing the color correction chart with the digital camera converted into L, a, b values using the conversion formula and the L, a, b values of color samples of the predetermined color measured under previously predetermined conditions; brightness correction means for correcting the brightness of a facial image according to a distance measured by the distance sensor when the facial image of a subject at approximately a fixed distance is photographed by the digital camera as a photographic object; and color correction means for correcting the brightness-corrected facial image according to the deviation.