Patent ID: 8482651

Claim:
An image processing method comprising: acquiring pickup image data items of multiple frames, which are picked up at different times, as pickup image data items to be used for synthesizing processing; designating one or more object-of-synthesis areas in a selected frame out of the acquired multiple frames; providing an indication to a user that synthesizing processing may be performed on a first object-of-synthesis area out of the one or more object-of-synthesis areas; and when receiving input from the user indicating that synthesizing processing should be performed on the first object-of-synthesis area, producing synthetic image data by performing synthesizing processing of replacing pixel data in the first object-of-synthesis area with pixel data in another frame out of the multiple frames; and performing preserving processing on the synthetic image data, wherein prior to performing synthesizing processing, the user manipulates at least one of the one or more object-of-synthesis areas by selecting said at least one of the one or more object-of-synthesis areas within the selected frame.