Photographing method and apparatus providing correction of object shadows, and a recording medium storing a program for executing the method

A photographing method comprising:

• detecting an object region image signal from an input image signal;
• detecting a shadow region from the object region image signal;
• and
• displaying an image signal detected by superimposing the shadow region on the object region image signal,
• detecting a blur image signal from the object region image signal;
• detecting a skin tone mask of the object region from the blur image signal;
• detecting a shadow region mask by using the blur image signal, the skin tone mask, and an average brightness level of the object region;
• and
• outputting the shadow region mask as the shadow region.

A photographing apparatus comprising:

• an object region detecting unit which detects an object region image signal from an image signal;
• a shadow region detecting unit which detects a shadow region from the object region image signal;
• and
• an image signal superimposing unit which outputs an image signal detected by superimposing the shadow region detected by the shadow region detecting unit onto the object region image signal detected by the object region detecting unit,
• wherein the detecting the object region image signal, the detecting the shadow region from the object region image signal, and the displaying the image signal detected by superimposing the shadow region of the object region image signal are all performed before an image of an object is captured,
• wherein the shadow region detecting unit detects a blur image signal from the object region image signal, detects a skin tone mask from the blur image signal, detects a shadow region mask by using the blur image signal, the skin tone mask, and an average brightness level of the object region, and outputs the shadow region mask as the shadow region.

A photographing apparatus comprising:

• an object region detecting unit which detects an object region image signal from an image signal;
• a shadow region detecting unit which detects a shadow region from the object region image signal;
• and
• an image signal superimposing unit which outputs an image signal detected by superimposing the shadow region detected by the shadow region detecting unit onto the object region image signal detected by the object region detecting unit,
• wherein the object region is a face region, and
• the shadow region detecting unit detects a blur image signal from the object region image signal, detects a skin tone mask from the blur image signal, detects a shadow region mask by using the blur image signal, the skin tone mask, and an average brightness level of the object region, and outputs the shadow region mask as the shadow region.