Face information is detected from each of original image signals, each of the original image signals representing a person image, in which a face pattern of a person is embedded. The face information represents a position and/or a size of the face pattern of the person in the person image represented by each original image signal. A face pattern normalizing process is performed on each of the original image signals and in accordance with the detected face information, and a plurality of normalized image signals are obtained from the face pattern normalizing process. A plurality of images, which are represented by the normalized image signals, are laid out in a predetermined layout, and a layout image signal representing the thus formed layout image is obtained. A layout image, such as a school photo, is thus capable of being formed efficiently.