There is described image-processing methods, apparatus and programs, which make it possible to accurately determine an oriented direction of an image to be displayed as a single screen image, without requiring operator's assistances. The method includes the steps of: determining whether or not a personal image is included in the image, based on image signals representing the image; recognizing an oriented direction of the image, based on at least one of element-feature quantities with respect to constituent elements constituting the personal image, when determining that the personal image is included in the image in the determining step. The constituent elements include a shape of face, a positional relationship between both eyes, a positional relationship between the face and hair on a head, and a positional relationship between the face and a hand or a leg.