A system and method for capturing an image for biometric identification. To obtain the image, a person stands or moves in a target zone. A flash element provides an incoherent flash of light through an aperture. The flash is filtered to produce filtered light. The filtered light has primary wavelengths no longer than that of blue light. The filtered light is not perceived well by the human eye due to its short duration, color and small point of origin. The intensity of the filtered light at the target area surpasses the intensity of all ambient light. In this manner, a person in the target area will always be properly illuminated, even if that person were backlit by full sunlight. An image of the person is taken with a camera. The image is analyzed to obtain any biometric patterns that can be used for identification.