Best way to set up - categories or subcategories?

[Ember]

Hello,
I had a zencart a while back. Setting up a new store now V1.5.4 and it's so different!
Please help me figure out the best way to set up the main page so all products are visible. I'm not having success configuring to my liking.

I have 2 products (basically) with attributes. Not sure if it would be best setup as categories or subcategories.
1. CD with options of autographed and personalized. (I have set up this product with options successfully)
2. Photographs with option of 6 different images. These will also be available with options of autographed and personalized. I would prefer if there is one product and the customer selects which image and then adds the attribute option if desired. OR.......Do I need to make 6 different products under the main category/subcategory "Photos"?
I need to be able to show the 6 different images for the person to select. Then add either the autographed or personalized option to that if they like.

Although I would like the products themselves to show on the front page (this was how my other zencart was setup, with much less confusion I may add ) . I wouldn't mind if there were two rows on the front page (categories or subcategories) that has an icon and info re: the category/subcategory, but no "add to cart" icon so they need to go to the product page itself in order to add to cart.

I have managed to have the icons show up alongside each other as smaller square icons but no additional info. I've also managed to have clickable link text to the actually categories along the top of the page. Neither of which will work for my purposes. Please help! Thank you

[lat9]

You can use attribute images to identify the picture that the customer is choosing for a given photo.

For the "display on the front page", you could define both of your products as "Featured" and then choose to display the featured-products' centerbox on the main page. That way, you'll only need to change a language file to get the functionality you want.

[Ember]

Thank you for your reply. I did finally get it to how I like. Not with featured products but as categories