Imaging apparatus and image synthesizing method

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• an imaging portion that takes images of subjects;
• a synthesizing portion that extracts a facial image from one taken image and that synthesizes the extracted facial image with a region of another taken image where there is no facial image, among two taken images taken by the imaging portion;
• a determination portion that determines whether or not members whose facial images are contained in one taken image of the two taken images are different from members whose facial images are contained in the other taken image of the two taken images;
• and
• a control portion that controls the synthesizing portion to synthesize the two taken images when the determination portion determines that the members whose facial images are contained in the one taken image are different from the members whose facial images are contained in the other taken image.

An image synthesizing method in an imaging apparatus comprising an imaging portion for taking images of subjects, the method comprising:

• when two taken images taken by the imaging portion are to be synthesized, comparing a number of facial images contained in one taken image of the two taken images with a number of facial images contained in the other taken image of the two taken images;
• determining which taken image of the two taken images has a smaller number of facial images;
• extracting a facial image from one taken image of the two taken images determined to have the smaller number of facial images;
• and
• synthesizing the extracted facial image with a region of the other taken image of the two images where there is no facial image.

An image synthesizing method in an imaging apparatus comprising an imaging portion for taking images of subjects, the method comprising:

• extracting a facial image from one taken image among two taken images shot by the imaging portion;
• synthesizing the extracted facial image with a region of the other taken image of the two taken images where there is no facial image;
• and
• determining whether or not members whose facial images are contained in one taken image of the two taken images are different from members whose facial images are contained in the other taken image of the two taken images;
• wherein the synthesizing is performed when it is determined that the members whose facial images are contained in the one taken image are different from the members whose facial images are contained in the other taken image.