Abstract: An apparatus for facial recognition is provided that includes a camera. One or more images are configured to: determine a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes for a plurality of groups of image captures, wherein each group includes at least a capture using a first illumination mode and a capture using a second illumination mode, wherein the ordering of the first and second illumination modes for each group is pseudo-randomly determined. Image information is received for a set of image captures used for facial recognition The image information is indicative as being captured by the camera unit. A determine is made whether to authorize facial recognition in response to analyzing the image information and determining whether the image information was captured using the pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes. A second illumination mode is a tunable VCSEL laser with one or more active regions having quantum wells and barriers. The active regions are surrounded by one or more p-n junctions.