Traditionally, photo layouts in newspapers and magazines used photos from a variety of perspectives clustered around a large, dominant lede image. More and more I'm seeing layouts which run all photos about the same size, frequently shot from about the same distance.

Now, on the Web this makes perfect sense as a function of resolution, download time and one-photo-per-page display. On the printed page, though, is the cookie-cutter layout the most powerful use of photographs? Does it provide the most information to the reader? Does the cookie-cutter layout focus our attention on each individual photo more than on the interaction of the collection of pictures?

What do you all think?

jbrecher@cameliaautoma

-- John Brecher (jbrecher@cameliaautomation.com), March 31, 1999