To efficiently detect a prescribed objective body from an image by a photographing system, such as a digital camera, particularly when the prescribed objective body such as a face is included.

A face detecting portion 80 detects the prescribed objective body such as a face from a photographed image. An internal memory 68 stores a detection history including a past result and a newest result of detection of the prescribed objective body. A judgement portion 82 refers to the detection history and judges whether the prescribed objective body is to be handled as detected in the image obtained newest.