A birthday photo mosaic from everyone's photos
A group present that costs each person one photo and a minute of their time. Everyone's pictures become the tiles of one portrait of the birthday person.
Which picture to build
Use a recent close-up that the birthday person already likes of themselves, ideally one they have chosen as a profile picture. It is their face made large, so their opinion of the photo matters more than yours.
For a milestone birthday a childhood photo is tempting, but guests recognise the face they know today, and that is what makes people lean in and start looking for their own tile. Save the childhood pictures for the tiles.
Who to ask, and what to say
A birthday crowd is several separate circles: family, school friends, work, neighbours, a club. You probably have numbers for only one or two of them. Pick one person in each circle and ask them to pass the link on.
Say exactly what you want and when. For example: "We are making a picture for her 50th out of everyone's photos. Add one of you with her, or just of you, and a line if you like. It takes a minute and needs no account. Please keep it quiet until the 14th."
When to start
Two to three weeks before the birthday is about right. A free page takes photos for 30 days from the day you make it, so a page made much more than a month ahead will have closed to new photos before the party unless you unlock it.
Give people a date a few days earlier than the real one. The last photos always arrive late.
Showing it on the day
Hand over a tablet or a phone with the page open and let them zoom in and tap the tiles. Each one opens the photo with the sender's name and message. Typing a name into the search box finds that person's tile.
If you unlock the page ($19, paid once), you also get a slideshow link for the television at the party and a large image file you can have printed as the present itself.
The usual mistake
The surprise leaks through a group chat the birthday person is in, or through a shared family tablet. Send the link to people one by one or in a chat made for the purpose, and write "surprise" in the first line of your message.
Questions
Can I keep the mosaic a surprise?
Yes, as long as the link stays away from the birthday person. The page is hidden from search engines and can only be opened by someone who has the link, so the secret depends on who you send it to.
What if only a dozen people add a photo before the birthday?
The portrait is still complete. Photos repeat to fill all 2,000 tiles, so a small group simply appears more often. People can go on adding photos after the birthday while uploads are open.
Can I use this for a child's birthday?
Yes, if you are the parent or have the parents' agreement. Choose "I approve each one first" so nothing appears until you have seen it, and send the link only to people the family knows. The service is not for children under 13 to use on their own.
Can people who cannot come to the party take part?
Yes. That is often the point: relatives and friends abroad add a photo and a message from wherever they are, and they can open the same link to see the finished picture.
Free to make and share. No account for you or for the people who add photos.