An illumination apparatus includes a light emitting unit, a movable unit, including the light emitting unit, that is rotatable relative to a main body unit, an obtaining unit that obtains first distance information about a distance to a target in a shooting direction of the imaging apparatus to which the illumination apparatus is attached, and second distance information about a distance to a target in a direction different from the shooting direction, a determination unit that determines, based on the first distance information and the second distance information obtained by the obtaining unit, a lighting direction of the light emitting unit, wherein the obtaining unit obtains, in a case where a self-timer mode is set in the imaging apparatus, the first distance information after a lapse of a predetermined time following obtainment of the second distance information.