An image processing method which is executed in an image processing apparatus for laying out images in an album, comprising: analyzing feature values for each of a plurality of images being candidate images for layout; dividing the plurality of images into a plurality of scenes corresponding to image groups based on time differences between the images which are calculated from shooting date/time information acquired in the analyzing; determining, based on the analyzed feature values of images included in each image group, one kind of scene for the respective image group from a plurality of predetermined kinds of scenes; performing image evaluation of assigning, to each of the plurality of images, both of a main slot score in accordance with a first evaluation criterion and a sub-slot score in accordance with a second evaluation criterion, the first and second evaluation criteria being two different kinds of evaluation criteria for image preferences which depend on the kind of scene of the image group of the evaluated image; determining whether a count of the image groups from the dividing into a plurality of scenes is equal to a double page spread count of the album input by a user in advance, and if it is determined that these counts are not equal to each other, equalizing them by scene sub-division or scene integration; and selecting, for each of the plurality of image groups the count of which is equal to the count of the double page spread count, from the images included in the respective image group, a main image to be laid out in a main slot and a sub image to be laid out in a sub-slot, based on the main-slot scores and the sub-slot scores assigned for the images, wherein the main slot and the sub-slot are frames of a layout template where images of one image group are laid out using a larger size for the main slot than for the sub-slot, wherein, in said selecting, for each of the plurality of image groups, the image determined to have the highest main slot score among the images included in the respective image group is selected as the main image, and the image determined to have the highest sub slot score among the images included in a sub-slot shooting period in the respective image group during which the main image has not been selected is selected as the sub image, and wherein said sub-slot shooting period is determined by dividing a shooting period of the respective image group into a first and a second part of which the first part includes the selected main image, using the second part as the sub-slot shooting period if an image data exists therein, and otherwise sub-dividing the first part into two sub-parts and using a sub-part in which the main slot image has not been selected. analyzing feature values for each of a plurality of images being candidate images for layout; dividing the plurality of images into a plurality of scenes corresponding to image groups based on time differences between the images which are calculated from shooting date/time information acquired in the analyzing; determining, based on the analyzed feature values of images included in each image group, one kind of scene for the respective image group from a plurality of predetermined kinds of scenes; performing image evaluation of assigning, to each of the plurality of images, both of a main slot score in accordance with a first evaluation criterion and a sub-slot score in accordance with a second evaluation criterion, the first and second evaluation criteria being two different kinds of evaluation criteria for image preferences which depend on the kind of scene of the image group of the evaluated image; determining whether a count of the image groups from the dividing into a plurality of scenes is equal to a double page spread count of the album input by a user in advance, and if it is determined that these counts are not equal to each other, equalizing them by scene sub-division or scene integration; and selecting, for each of the plurality of image groups the count of which is equal to the count of the double page spread count, from the images included in the respective image group, a main image to be laid out in a main slot and a sub image to be laid out in a sub-slot, based on the main-slot scores and the sub-slot scores assigned for the images, wherein the main slot and the sub-slot are frames of a layout template where images of one image group are laid out using a larger size for the main slot than for the sub-slot, wherein, in said selecting, for each of the plurality of image groups, the image determined to have the highest main slot score among the images included in the respective image group is selected as the main image, and the image determined to have the highest sub slot score among the images included in a sub-slot shooting period in the respective image group during which the main image has not been selected is selected as the sub image, and wherein said sub-slot shooting period is determined by dividing a shooting period of the respective image group into a first and a second part of which the first part includes the selected main image, using the second part as the sub-slot shooting period if an image data exists therein, and otherwise sub-dividing the first part into two sub-parts and using a sub-part in which the main slot image has not been selected.