Patent ID: 7787762

Claim:
An image photographing apparatus for capturing a subject image in accordance with smile detection of a subject, comprising: optical means for converging light from the subject; image capturing means for capturing the subject image obtained on the basis of the light from the subject converged by the optical means; optical mechanism driving control means for controlling driving of mechanisms of the optical means; image signal processing means for performing signal processing on the image captured by the image capturing means; image recording means for recording onto a predetermined recording medium the captured image on which the signal processing has been performed by the image signal processing means; face detection means for detecting a face of the subject from the captured image on which the signal processing has been performed by the image signal processing means; smile detection means for detecting a smile on the face detected by the face detection means; and smile-detection photography control means for performing photographing processing for the subject image in response to detection of the smile of the subject from the captured image, while the driving of the mechanisms of the optical means by the optical mechanism driving control means is maintained fixed.