Layers and templates

I started with a template but this does not resemble it all that much. I like layers in Photoshop and love to showcase them. For this layout, I clipped pictures to some of the squares but for others I erased the square to reveal the patterned paper below. And in other spots I added a patterned paper instead of a photo to add some color and dimension. The cutouts serve a couple of purposes here. First, they are a way to tiangulate by revealing color, which moves the eye. Second, they are a vessel for adding some theme related elements.