1. A method for automatically determining an orientation and zoom of an image pickup device associated with a video conferencing system, wherein said method comprises the steps of: generating, at said image pickup device, an image signal representative of an image framed by said image pickup device; processing the image signal to identify objects in said image; steering the image pickup device to an initial orientation; determining a location of all the identified objects relative to a reference point and determining respective sizes of the identified objects; defining an area of interest in said image, wherein said area of interest includes all the identified objects; and steering the image pickup device to frame said defined area of interest including all the identified objects where a center of the frame substantially coincides with a center formed by a group of all the identified objects.