Photo Mosaic pictures
These stunning photo mosaic portraits are created from
your own photo collection.
They are made up of hundreds of little photos, arranged to look, from a distance, like a single image. The image is not tinted, or overlaid with the photo in any way - the photos are simply cropped and painstakingly arranged in the right way.
When looking at the image above, try stepping back from your screen to see how distance helps focus the image.
PhotoMosaic commissioning process
Step 1 - Order your mosaic
Use our ordering tool to:
1) Tell us the size of the photomosaic you're after
2) Choose how to send us the photo you’d like us to use as the the guide for the overall image (what we call the base image)
3) Confirm your order by making a 50% downpayment
Step 2 - The artist starts work
1) Our artist will take a close look at the photo / s you send in to use as the base image and we will then contact you to discuss the potential composition of your mosaic and talk to you about any other details.
2) You then send us a CD / DVD with the catalogue of 1,000 or so images you want to use to make up the mosaic.
Step 3 - Draft mosaic and feedback
1) We will then check the catalogue of images you have sent in to make sure they are all in order
and a week or so later, we will email you a draft of the mosaic for you to consider.
2) You give us your feedback
3) We make any changes required
Step 4 - Photo Mosaic delivered
On approval by you, your mosaic is printed onto the canvas, stretched up and on payment of the final 50%, despatched straight to you.
In all the process should take about 3-4 weeks.
Any questions? See our FAQs below.
Any questions?
Most common questions should be answered in our FAQs below, but we're more than happy to chat too, so feel free to call us.
Studio hours are 9.30am - 5.30pm Monday - Friday
Telephone: 020 7193 7778
e-mail:
Above: Here you can see the original photo the mosaic is based on, along with close ups of the mouth area. The cells are kept to a minimum of 2.7cm so that you can see the details in the individual photos.
Above: No doubt one of the more unusual mosaics we have produced.
Wonderbra photographed thousands of women at various events around the country as well as inviting them to upload their own shots to their website. 8,000 pictures of women in their bras were used to make this mosaic of the new Wonderbra model. The final mosaic was printed on a massive billboard on London's Tottenham Court Road.
Photo Mosaic FAQs
How many photos do I need to send in to make a Photo Mosaic?
In short the more photos you can supply the better.
This is because the wider selection of photos the artist has to choose from, the greater the likelihood there is of being just the right photo to fit a particular spot on the photomosaic.
About 2,000 is great, with 1,000 - 1,500 being about the minimum we need on most mosaics to avoid having to repeat images. This may sound like a tall order, but if you’re a digital camera owner you’ll know just how easy it is to take lots of photos.
Take a look at your collection and you’ll be surprised just how many are sitting unloved and unlooked at on your hard drive and do remember they don't all have to be Magnum quality shots.
If you don't have the 1,000 or so that is ideal, don't worry - some repeated images look fine and we can split some photos to create a larger catalogue.
One thing to look out for when preparing your disk, is that you do not duplicate images in different files. We sometimes find that people have supplied a disk on which they think there are say 1,200 images, but that when it comes down to it, there are only 700 or so, as a large proportion of the images are just duplicates.
Similarly, do beware of supplying long sequences of photos. If you have taken lots of shots of one thing, one after the other - a child in fancy dress say - then although they are separate shots, they will look very similar. In the finished mosaic they will look like repeated images.
One final thing is about orientation. Please can you try and make sure that the images are all standing the right way up and not lying on their sides.
How can I send the photos to you?
The base image - The base image (the photo which is used as the guide for the overall image) can be supplied to us in any format you like (print, slides, negative, digital).
You can choose how to send this to us when you place the order using the ordering tool.
The main catalogue of images - The other photos, that are used to make up the overall picture, MUST be supplied on disk, prefereably as jpegs (which is the normal file format for digital cameras). The higher resolution they are the better, as we can then use crops of photos to create other photos.
We will give you the address to send the disk/s to and a reference to send with it, after you have placed your order.
What if my photo collection is made up of good old fashioned prints?
No problem, however, in order to create the photo mosaic we do need to digitize the images, which will involve scanning all your old prints for you. This is a labourious process and we charge on a per image basis . The price is £0.35p per image. As well as using the images for the mosaic we will also supply you a disk with the images on which does mean you then have a digital archive of your shots too.
Does the base image have to be a face?
No! We have done some great photo mosaics using a variety of base images.
For best results the base image must be a strong shape. Words work especially well.
How do you establish the composition of the photo mosaic?
To establish the composition of the photo mosaic, we will send you a number of crops of the image you want to use as the base image. Some will be close crops, with others zoomed out a little more.
Experience has shown us that if using a face, close ups tend to make the best mosaics.
The reason for this is that the more detail there is in a mosaic (i.e. the more of the person you show) then the smaller the cells that make up the image need to be for the eye to be able to make sense of the overall image.
Part of the fun of a Photomosiac is that when viewed from close up it just looks like a collection of photos, but the further away you get the more it becomes obvious that the photos themselves make another image. If you have a very detailed mosaic, which means we have to use smaller cells, then this effect can be lost slightly. Using a close up of a face allows a good level of abstraction when viewing the mosaic close up, whilst also forming nicely into a recognisable face when you view it from a distance.
Customer Feedback
We've had so much great feedback from our Photo Mosaic customers, that we thought we'd share some of it with you.
Our thanks to everyone who has taken the time to write - it's very much appreciated.
‘Pleased to let you know the mosaic arrived safely this morning. . I am very pleased with it (just as well my son has a large house!!) Many thanks for your help and advice. I hope my other son will be interested in a picture or mosaic for his clinic. Thanks again.’
CI – Ireland
‘Thank you so much for all your work on the mosaic for my mum and dad's 60th Birthdays. They were absolutely thrilled, lots of tears, lots of laughter and lots of pointing accompanied by "there I am"! We had a wonderful party and this was the icing on the cake, thank you again.’
LW – UK
‘Was very VERY well received, and there was a huge gasp as we brought it out
for them. Apparently people are still going round to the house to look at
it, and someone said the local rag may be interested!! - PUBLICITY. I'll
keep you posted.
I am keen to know more about your internal systems, though, for managing the
process so smoothly.’
DD - UK
‘We just wanted to drop a line to thank you and your team for all your hard work to ensure that we got the mosaic portrait in time to give to Bill on his birthday – we know if was a really tight deadline and put extra pressure on you – we have received fantastic service throughout.
We also wanted to tell you that the portrait itself was a huge success – he is really pleased with it and is now busy trying to work through all the images to see who and what we have included. Once again with thanks’
S&S W - UK
‘Just to let you know I have received my photo mosaic and am very pleased with it. It has certainly been worth the two months it took to collate all the photos needed! It now means all the photos normally stored away in albums can be on display for all.
The picture has taken pride of place in our lounge and brings a smile to everyone; we notice something new every time we look at it! It makes a fantastic family heirloom of memories. Thanks for all the hard work, Best wishes,’
CF - UK
‘Just a quick note to say a big thanks for my picture. Its really great and I have spent ages looking at the different pictures on it.
On another note I know you said you go to great lengths to carefully pack it. Please look at enclosed pictures to see in what state it arrived from Parcel Force. Luckily the picture itself was undamaged, probably thanks to your good packing. Might be worth having a word with them because its no good you going to great lengths of care only for them to do that to it. It looks to me its been caught somewhere. Anyway I am chuffed with you guys and I hope you do well. Thanks again’
GM - UK
‘I thought I'd let you know how well the Mosaic of our house went down when finally we were able to give it to my husband for his birthday on Sunday.
We went the whole hog and hung it wrapped and with a bow, for him to open (a bit like the Queen) Anyway he was speechless - which if you knew him is very unusual! He just couldn't believe it. He thought it was fantastic and keeps going back to view it. I even caught him with it on the table checking out all the photos. So it worked very well. Everyone who has seen it is so impressed - and I keep giving out your web address.
Thanks very much for your help in all of this and thank you for making it a birthday to remember. Kind regards’
LL - UK
‘Thank you so very much... the mosaic is fantastic. I am hoping you will send home the disks. I know you said to send copies due to potential loss in the postal system. However it would be nice to have them just in case! Thank you again for all of your hard work and talent. Blessings to you and your family! Merry Christmas.’
AS - USA
Photo Mosaic - Prices
The price of our photo mosaic pictures depends simply on the size that you want the canvas.
Size in cm
Width x Height |
Size in inches
Width x Height |
Price
Delivered ready to hang on the wall as a stretched canvas. Includes VAT and UK delivery |
| 80 x 60
| 31 x 24
| £297.50
|
| 80 x 80
| 31x 31
| £320.51
|
| 100 x 100
| 39 x 39
| £369.96
|
| 120 x 100
| 47 x 39
| £396.40
|
| 150 x 110
| 59 x 43
| £455.05
|
These are just example sizes. Although we can do any size you want, with the mosaics the smallest we like to go is 80cm x 60cm. Smaller than that and the individual cells get too small to make out the detail in.
Ordering from outside the UK? No problem. The portrait ordering tool will give you an export price based on the size and destination.
Above: It's not just faces that can get the Photo Mosaic treatment. Any strong shape will work well.
What size can I have the canvas?
To achieve the best effect, you must be able to see both the overall image and, on closer inspection, the individual images themselves. The smallest size we like to make the individual cells is 27mm, as below that we feel you don't actually really get to see the details in the photos.
Given the above, we strongly recommend that the starting size for the photo mosaic should be at least 80cm in one dimension.
The exact dimensions will of course, ultimately depend on the proportions of the base image crop that we agree with you, but a starting size of 80cm x 80cm is about as small as we like to go.
In short, the bigger the better!
Can I make ammendments to the Mosaic once the artist has completed it?
You can indeed. About 2 weeks after commissioning, we email you back a draft of your Photo Mosaic for you to take a look at.
This gives you the opportunity to give your feedback to us before the canvas is printed.
How are the Photo Mosaics finished?
The Photomosaics are finished as Giclee prints on canvas, and are delivered stretched around a wooden frame and ready to hang on the wall.
Using the Giclee printing process onto canvas allows us to get a really sharp vibrant finish. This process gives you a wonderful and very contemporary matt finish.
Some ideas
Weddings
Why not have the happy couple made up using photos from their wedding?
Wedding photographers will take about 300 pictures on the day and given the large number of faces in them it’s usually possible to manufacture a large enough population of apparently unique images, which fit with the colour scheme of the base image.
Clubs and schools
Have a photo of the clubhouse made up of shots of the members.
Your school made up of the pupils.
Families
Have the matriarch made up of photos of her family. We’re starting to get a bit crypto-genetic engineer here, but you get the idea....
Below: Our Photo Mosaics also work well with strong shapes.
These two mosaics were created for P&O's new liner The Ventura. Two of a number of Photomosaics we created for them, they are made up of photos from the destinations that the ship visits.
