1. An apparatus for selecting an image of a specific scene, said apparatus comprising: an image input reception portion for receiving input of a target image; a local characteristic quantity image generation portion for generating at least a local characteristic quantity image from said target image; a representative characteristic quantity calculation portion for calculating at least a representative characteristic quantity for the each local characteristic quantity image by using a result of sum-of-product calculations obtained by shifting and/or changing distribution of at least a mask in the corresponding local characteristic quantity image, wherein said each mask is previously related to a type of the local characteristic quantity image; and a identification portion for making judgment as to whether the target image indicates the specific scene by comparing at least a value of the representative characteristic quantity with a identification condition previously related to a type of the representative characteristic quantity, wherein said identification condition indicates a relation ship between a possible value of the representative characteristic quantity and likelihood of the specific scene.