Patent ID: 7606479

Claim:
An image-taking apparatus which is provided with an imaging device and which forms a subject image on the imaging device to generate an image signal, the image-taking apparatus comprising: an emission section which emits independently controlled light to each of multiple emission areas obtained by two-dimensionally dividing an entire area covering an imaging angle of view; and an emission control section which causes the emission section to perform pre-emission toward a subject prior to actual emission performed when an image is taken, calculates an amount of light to be emitted at actual emission based on an amount of reflected light of the pre-emission and causes the emission section to perform actual emission with the calculated amount of emitted light, a face recognition section which recognizes a face position by image processing, wherein the emission control section causes the emission section to emit a relatively large amount of light to a part of the multiple emission areas in comparison with the other emission areas when the pre-emission is performed, and wherein when the pre-emission is performed, the emission control section causes the emission section to emit a relatively large amount of light to an emission area corresponding to the face position recognized by the face recognition section.