There is provided an illumination apparatus used for imaging a moving picture made up of a plurality of frames, and for irradiating an auxiliary light from a light source constituted by one or a plurality of LEDs onto a photo-object. The one or plurality of LEDs are duty-driven by a duty ratio smaller than 100% during an imaging period (during a period for exposing a CCD) of a frame period. The heat releasing effect and the light emitting efficiency can be improved as compared to a case where the LEDs are successively turned on during an imaging period. As a result, the light emitting intensity at the time the light emitting diodes are turned on can be heightened with the amount of consumed electricity unchanged, and the light emitting efficiency of the light emitting diodes can be improved.