Image photographing apparatus, image photographing method, and computer program

The present invention discloses an image photographing apparatus and a computer program. The image photographing apparatus for capturing a subject image in accordance with smile detection of a subject includes an optical unit; an image capturing unit configured to capture the subject image; an optical mechanism driving control unit configured to control driving of mechanisms of the optical unit; an image signal processing unit configured to perform signal processing on the captured image; an image recording unit configured to record the captured image onto a predetermined recording medium; a face detection unit configured to detect a face of the subject; a smile detection unit configured to detect a smile on the detected face; and a smile-detection photography control unit configured to perform 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 by the optical mechanism driving control unit is maintained fixed. After a smile is detected, capturing is carried out and subsequent operations for fixing focus and aperture are stopped.