This 8 photo layout has a good combination of cropped and non-cropped photos.  Almost half of them are straight-from-the-developer sized.

The layout I created has only 5 photos because I wanted to have a big title and room for embellishments.  I don’t usually like to split photos over 2 pages, but it worked in this instance.  I used 6 patterns and 1 solid.

This 8 photo sketch does not require severe cropping of at least half of the pictures.  The larger photo, as in any sketch, can be replaced with a regular size photo that is matted well.

In this example, you can see that I switched the sides of the sketch,
mostly to show time progression of the photos.  I also played around
with the sizes of the photos some, because I wanted to add in more
embellishments and quotes.  I used 4 patterns and 2 solids.

This 8 photo sketch is one of my favorites.  As you can see, I’ve used it 3 times!  So much that my friends have banned me from using it for awhile.  But it is so easy!

The 1st example is the closest to the sketch.

The 2nd example uses the same number of photos as the sketch, but sized and arranged a little different.

The 3rd example shows how a whole different look can be achieved by moving the large circle up and off the top of the layout.  Still the same number of photos, though!

The 4th example uses fewer pictures, more circles, and more quotes.  So many different layouts, from all the same sketch!

This 9 photo sketch  is one of my favorite non-big-circle sketches.  Six of the photos do not require severe cropping.

In the example, I used 4 patterns and 3 solids.  The cool thing is that all the patterned pieces started out as 8.5×11 sheets instead of 12×12.  So if you’re looking to save money on paper, this is an awesome sketch for you!

This 8 photo sketch has my favorite big circle component, but used in a different way.  The large focal picture on the left side is intended to balance the big circle.

In the example you can see that I used 3 photos bumped against each other in place of the 1 large photo, but with the same visual effect.  For this layout, I used 5 patterns and 2 solids.

This 9 photo sketch uses circles to break up a design that might be too linear without them.  The smaller circle embellishments bring balance to the larger circles, but could be replaced with something else.

In the example, I used 8 photos, 3 patterned papers and 1 solid paper.

Don’t be afraid of sketches with oddly shaped large photos.  If you don’t have one to fit, you can always use multiple photos to fill the space.  Put all together, they have the same visual impact as the large photo.

This 8 photo sketch requires precise measurement & placement on the right side, which is why I gave you the measurements of all the pieces.  The spacing from the edges and in-between is .25″. You could use fewer pictures and fill-in with more patterned paper or embellishments.

When looking at the dimensions of the photos in the sketch, remember that I usually include the mat in the measurement, so if you want to mat, cut your photo smaller.

In this 8 photo sketch, you could easily make the long skinny photo on the left side be 2 photos, or even 3 (continuing the grid pattern).  In the example, I used 3 patterns & 2 solids.

Okay, here’s the first sketch!  It is a 9 photo sketch, though in my example I only used 8.

In the example, I used 3 patterned papers and 2 colors of cardstock.  You’re only limited by your imagination!