1. An apparatus for improving image quality in video telephony comprising: an image detection unit, wherein the image detection unit comprises a near infrared light source for illuminating an object, such that the object is front illuminated thereby producing reflected near infrared radiation, an image sensor for generating first image data responsive to the reflected near infrared radiation, and an infrared filter for filtering the reflected near infrared radiation while allowing reflected visible light from the object so as to facilitate the image sensor further generating second image data responsive to the reflected visible light when the infrared filter is active; an image alignment unit coupled to the image sensor of the image detection unit for aligning a near infrared image from the first image data with a visible image from the second image data in order to form an aligned image pair; and an image fusion unit for forming a composite image of the object from the aligned image pair.