Patent ID: 8063947

Claim:
An image shooting device comprising: an image sensing portion that, through repeated shooting, acquires a series of input images having a plurality of input images formed in chronological order; a face detection portion that, based on image data of the series of input images, detects a human face from each input image and outputs position information representing position of a detected face on the image; a priority face choice portion that chooses a priority face from one or more faces detected by the face detection portion; an identification portion that, based on the position information of the faces detected by the face detection portion, searches for the priority face in each input image to detect the priority face as distinguished from any other face; and a re-choice portion that, when the priority face is detected by the identification portion from a first input image acquired after choice of the priority face but the priority face is not detected by the identification portion from a second input image acquired after the first input image, retains retained information including position information of the priority face on the first input image, the re-choice portion then executing, by use of the retained information, re-choice processing to re-choose the priority face, wherein, in the re-choice processing, based on the retained information and position information of a face on a third input image acquired after the second input image, the re-choice portion searches, within the third input image, for a to-be-re-chosen face to be re-chosen as a priority face anew under a condition different from a condition under which the identification portion searched for the priority face.