I really missed the boat there. Right answer to wrong question. This has been festering - I was not helpful. I have a couple of thoughts. Forgive a rather extended set of directions here?
I don't know if I have the answer you want but I have a possible way to size and place an image where you want without touching properties or setting dimensions or position numerically.
Let us assume all your image files have been appropriately sized for your document. i.e. not huge nor too small.
Create an image frame that represents the maximum size wanted for a doc - like 3" wide and 4" high, or whatever size suits your needs - a no larger than X by X size.
Right click within frame and select "Get Image" to get your photograph. OK it.
Right click within fame and select Adjust Image To Frame
Then right click and select Adjust Frame To Image.
You need to do it in that order.
You will now have an image that has filled one dimension of your maximum intended size and is the other dimension or smaller. But your frame will now exactly fit your photograph, and will not extend beyond your intended maximum size.
Now to position your image on the page create one horizontal and one vertical guideline that define where you want your image to center. You can drag them out from a ruler on the edge or use the "Manage Guides" dialog "Single" tab. Don't try to use the Column Row tab guides. You can use the "Manage Guides" dialog to impose those identical guides on all pages automating your task greatly.
Open the Windows> Align And Distribute dialog.
Select Relative to: Guide
Now, click on a guide to tell the dialog which guide to use. If, say, you have several vertical guides, now the dialog knows which one to use
Then, click on your image to tell it that is the item to place.
Then click on the "centered icon" below in the "Align and Distribute" dialog to tell it to place your image where you want it..
Then do the same for a horizontal guide, then click on your image again, then use the appropriate icon to position your image vertically.
There are other icons you could use for positioning. You could use the guide to say no further to the right or no further to the left than this guide. A little experimentation on a test page will illuminate all this.
Relative To seems to respond to single guides and ignores the Column Row multiples one can generate from the Manage Guides dialog. This means that you can use the Column Row grid as a compositional tool without disturbing to guides meant for placing images.
This all takes forever to write and explain, but gets handy and quick after you go through it a few times.
Perhaps this helps?