Imaging apparatus and imaging method for selecting image from among captured images

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit that photographs an object through a lens; a memory unit that stores images captured by the imaging unit; an adjusting unit that adjusts a position of the lens, based on a value that is obtained from each of the images captured by the imaging unit and that represents an extent of focusing by the lens; a calculating unit that calculates a local maximum value of the value, based on temporal changes of the value that is obtained from each of the images successively captured by the imaging unit and that represents the extent of focusing by the lens; and a selecting unit that selects an image from among the images stored in the memory unit, based on differences of the local maximum value and the value obtained from each of the images and representing the extent of focusing by the lens.