Imaging device and imaging method

1. An imaging device having an imaging section and capable of capturing a digital image, comprising:

a facial organ detection section for detecting eyes from a digital image that has been taken by the imaging section;

an eye-priority AF section for setting an AF region to a detected eye and focusing on the eye; and

an image processing section for carrying out image processing on the digital image to feather the periphery of an eye that the eye-priority AF section has focused on, wherein

the facial organ detection section detects facial organs from a digital image that has been captured by the imaging section, and determines inclination of a face based on the detected facial organs,

the eye-priority AF section selects one eye based on the inclination of the face, and carries out focusing on the selected eye, and

the image processing section carries out processing to feather an eye that has not been selected, and varies feathering strength in accordance with inclination of the face.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein:

the image processing section makes feathering intensity larger as inclination of the face increases from facing forward.

3. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein:

the image processing section creates a feathered image by feathering the captured image, creates an α channel mask for the captured digital image and sets the eye that has been focused on to a transparent state, combines an image that has been formed by applying the α channel mask to the captured digital image with an image formed by applying a mask of a reverse pattern to the α channel mask to the feathered image, and carries out image processing to feather the eye that has not been selected.

4. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein:

the facial organ detection section detects left and right eyes and corners of a mouth from a digital image that has been captured by the imaging section,

the eye-priority AF section carries out an operation to focus on the selected eye, and

the image processing section carries out image processing to feather around a region that contains the eye that has been focused on and one of either the left or right corners of the mouth corresponding to the position of the eye that has been focused on.

5. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein:

the image processing section carries out image processing to feather with increased feathering intensity in accordance with a distance, on the image, from a region that contains the eye that the eye-priority AF section has focused on and one of either the left or right corners of the mouth corresponding to the position of the eye that has been focused on.

6. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein:

the image processing section creates a feathered image by feathering the captured image, creates an α channel mask for the captured digital image and sets a region, that contains the eye that the eye-priority AF section has focused on and one of either the left or right corners of the mouth corresponding to the position of the eye that has been focused on, to a transparent state, combines an image that has been formed by applying the α channel mask to the captured digital image with an image formed by applying a mask of a reverse pattern to the α channel mask to the feathered image, and carries out image processing to feather the eye that has not been selected.

7. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein:

the image processing section carries out image processing to feather with an increased feathering intensity in accordance with a distance on the image from the eye that has been focused on by the eye-priority AF section.

8. The imaging device of claim 7 , wherein:

the image processing section creates a feathered image by feathering the captured image, creates an α channel mask for the captured digital image and sets the eye that has been focused on to a transparent state while setting transparency lower in accordance with distance from the eye, combines an image that has been formed by applying the α channel mask to the captured digital image with an image formed by applying a mask of a reverse pattern to the α channel mask to the feathered image, and carries out image processing to feather the eye that has not been selected.

9. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein:

the image processing section creates a feathered image by feathering the captured image, creates an α channel mask for the captured digital image and sets the eye that has been focused on to a transparent state, combines an image that has been formed by applying the α channel mask to the captured digital image with an image formed by applying a mask of a reverse pattern to the α channel mask to the feathered image, and carries out image processing to feather around the eye that has been focused on.

10. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an aperture value setting section for setting the aperture value at the time of exposure to a specified value close to the wide-open F number, in the case where focusing has been carried out on the eye by the eye-priority AF section.

11. An imaging method, for an imaging device capable of capturing digital images by detecting an eye from a captured digital image, focusing on the detected eye, and carrying out image processing on the digital image to feather around the eye that has been focused on, comprising the steps of:

detecting facial organs from the digital image and determining inclination of a face based on the detected facial organs;

selecting one eye based on the inclination of the face, and carrying out focusing on the selected eye; and

carrying out processing to feather an eye that has not been selected, and varying feathering intensity in accordance with inclination of the face.

12. The imaging method of claim 11 , wherein:

feathering intensity is made larger as inclination of the face increases from facing forward.

13. The imaging method of claim 11 , wherein:

left and right eyes and corners of a mouth are detected from a captured image,

an operation to focus on the selected eye is carried out, and

image processing is carried out to feather around a region that contains the eye that has been focused on and one of either the left or right corners of the mouth corresponding to the position of the eye that has been focused on.

14. The imaging method of claim 13 , wherein:

image processing is carried out to feather with increased feathering intensity in accordance with a distance, on the image, from a region that contains the eye that the eye-priority AF section has focused on and one of either the left or right corners of the mouth corresponding to the position of the eye that has been focused on.

15. The imaging method of claim 11 , wherein:

image processing is carried out to feather with an increased feathering intensity in accordance with a distance on the image from the eye that has been focused on.

16. The imaging method of claim 11 , wherein:

image processing is performed to create a feathered image by feathering the captured image, create an α channel mask for the captured digital image and set the eye that has been focused on to a transparent state, combine an image that has been formed by applying the α channel mask to the captured digital image with an image formed by applying a mask of a reverse pattern to the α channel mask to the feathered image, and feather around the eye that has been focused on.

17. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein varying the feathering strength in accordance with inclination of the face includes setting a feathering intensity of more pixels for an inclined face than for a forward-facing face.

18. The imaging method of claim 11 , wherein the act of varying the feathering strength in accordance with inclination of the face includes setting a feathering intensity of more pixels for an inclined face than for a forward-facing face.