I was reminded again of the cover of Abbey Road this summer when I read this piece in the Guardian about it.

One thing that struck me was how different the album cover photos of that album in 1969 were from the cover photos of this album from 5 years earlier

In 1964 they seemed so much younger and almost from the 50s, with their uniforms and uniformity. In 1969 they seem grown up, individuals all. The older photo is dated for many reasons: the newer photo feels timeless.

Of all the individuals, McCartney stands out the most to me: out of step, barefoot, having a smoke. Soon they would all stride in different directions as the need for individuality overtook the need to be in a group.

P.S. For outtakes of that famous photo shoot, check out this.