An image identification method for classifying block images of input image data into one of predetermined categories; the method includes the steps of: dividing image data into multiple blocks to produce block images, processing the feature quantity of each block image by their color space information and frequency component, learning separating hyperplanes that indicate boundaries of each category by reading in training data image that have labeled categories for each block and processing image feature quantity for each block of an training data image, and classifying respective block image to a category according to the distance from the separating hyperplane of each category for a newly acquired image to obtain the image feature quantity of block images. An imaging apparatus implementing the image identification method noted above is also disclosed.