Red-eye area detection accuracy is improved according to a pattern of
appearance of red-eye areas generated frequently in an actual photography
environment. A red-eye candidate area finding unit finds red-eye
candidate areas in a digital photograph image, by using reference data. A
display unit displays the image with the red-eye candidate areas having
been marked and preliminary corrected. A user can specify an unfound
red-eye area and an erroneously specified area by using a specification
unit 22. An update unit 24 updates the reference data by learning a
characteristic of the unfound red-eye area and the erroneously specified
area so that a probability becomes higher regarding detection of an area
having a characteristic similar to the unfound red-eye area as a red-eye
candidate area while becomes lower regarding detection of an area having
a characteristic similar to the erroneously specified area as a red-eye
area.