A photographing assisting apparatus is used when a subject is photographed using a photographing apparatus. The photographing assisting apparatus has a planar light source that, while in a state covering a to-be-photographed area on the subject, shines light on the to-be-photographed area on the subject and that is translucent in the direction pointing from the to-be-photographed area on the subject to the photographing apparatus, and a support portion that supports the photographing apparatus such that the distance between the subject and the photographing apparatus is kept fixed. The photographing assisting apparatus permits the subject to be illuminated with more evenly distributed brightness and permits a given illumination condition of the subject to be obtained stably.