A subject information obtaining apparatus and a subject information obtaining method are provided with which a resolution of a photoacoustic image can be improved even when an absorber arranged at a particular position with respect to a detector for photoacoustic waves is used.The subject information obtaining apparatus is configured to obtain an optical characteristic value distribution of a subject by using photoacoustic waves. A signal processing apparatus constituting this subject information obtaining apparatus executes generating a correction table on the basis of a variation quantity of a signal intensity related to a signal from an ultrasonic wave detector and processing a signal from a photoacoustic wave detector by using a value of the correction table.
