Patent ID: 8368758

Claim:
An imaging apparatus for taking an image of a face, comprising: an imaging element having sensitivity for a near-infrared range and a visible range; a first optical filter provided between the face and the imaging element to reduce an intensity of a visible light entering the imaging element; a near-infrared light irradiating portion for irradiating the face with a near-infrared light, wherein the near-infrared light irradiating portion is configured to irradiate the face with the near-infrared light at a predetermined intensity determined on the basis of one of an intensity of a visible light in the vicinity of the face, an intensity of a visible light passing through the first optical filter and an intensity of a visible light passing through a second optical filter having a similar characteristic to the first optical filter; and a light intensity measuring portion for measuring one of the intensity of the visible light in the vicinity of the face, the intensity of the visible light passing through the first optical filter and the intensity of the visible light passing through the second optical filter, and on the basis of the intensity measured by the light intensity measuring portion, a level of an intensity of the near-infrared light to be emitted from the near-infrared light irradiating portion is controlled; the light intensity measuring portion configured such that the intensity of the near-infrared light is increased when the measured intensity of the visible light increases; and the intensity of the near-infrared light is decreased when the measured intensity of the visible light decreases.