A method of monitoring the amount of time spent in a specified area by an individual comprises employing a first camera to automatically create one or more entrance images, each entrance image containing a face of an entering individual that passes a first location, and storing each entrance image in a database along with a corresponding entrance time that the entering individual passed the entrance location. A second camera is also employed to automatically create an exit image of a face of an exiting individual that passes a second location, and the exit image is recorded along with the corresponding exit time that the exiting individual passed the exit location. The exit image is then compared to the entrance images in the database to identify a matching entrance image containing the same face as the exit image. A stay time is then determined for the exiting individual by determining the difference between the entrance time corresponding to the matching entrance image and the exit time.