A movement area detecting unit detects, in an image frame divided into a
plurality of blocks, a block having a movement as a movement area, based
on simple image data. A face detecting unit detects a human face based on
the simple image data. When a human face is detected by the face
detecting unit in the movement area detected by the movement area
detecting unit and the movement in the movement area including the human
face stops, an image pick-up operation is performed. Therefore, when an
image is to be picked up in a self-timer image pick-up mode for
automatically picking-up an image of an operator himself/herself as an
object, the image pick-up operation takes place at the optimal timing
when the operator as the object reaches and stands still at the desired
position for the photograph.