A man and a boy are seen in three side-by-side photos over time, both wearing Batman t-shirts. The boy grows older in each photo, and they smile together in a cozy home setting.Nick and Jackson have sat for their Batman photo for the past 11 years.

Many photographers and everyday folk have participated in selfie a day, or photo a day challenges. But for Nick Tomasso and his son Jackson, an annual Batman photo started off completely by accident.

“The first picture was just cool to take together, having your son wear a shirt similar to yours… good father-son moment,” Nick tells PetaPixel. “The second year, my son and I had both received new Batman shirts (as it was around the holiday season), and we were both wearing them when we took a picture.

“It wasn’t until year three that I realized I had created a tradition. I had forgotten about the earlier pictures until I was scrolling through my camera roll, and when I saw them, I decided to make it a tradition in year three.”

Now every year, around fall, Nick and Jackson will sit for their yearly Batman photo. They try to do it as close to Batman Day, which falls on September 20, as possible. There are now 11 photos in the collection, and Nick recently shared them to Reddit where the post received over 10,000 upvotes.

Five photos of the same man and boy sitting together over the years, both wearing Batman shirts; the boy grows older in each photo, showing their progression through time.

A man and a boy, both wearing Batman shirts, sit close together on a couch. The same image is shown four times, side by side, with slightly different lighting and color tones in each section.

A man and a boy, both wearing Batman T-shirts, smile and pose together in three side-by-side photos while sitting on a patterned chair in a brightly lit room.

The passage of time isn’t the only thing you can chart through Nick and Jackson’s Batman photos; the quality of the photos improves year on year as Nick continues to upgrade his Samsung smartphone. The aspect ratios change as well, thanks to differing sensors.

“I believe my first Samsung during this Batman picture collage was a Galaxy S5; followed by an S6, then S8, then S10+, then S22+, then S24 Ultra,” Nick says. “I also remember my first cell phone ever… Motorola Star Tac, and my worst cell phone ever… Blackberry Storm.”

What is striking about the collection of photos is how Jackson perfectly locks eyes with the lens in every frame. “[That] definitely took some time and patience, especially in the early years,” adds Nick. “As the years progressed, it became much easier and quicker.”

Now, Nick says he keeps his Batman shirt tucked away and only brings it out for picture day each year.

“After I realized this was a tradition in year three, I stopped wearing my Batman shirt… I wanted to keep the continuity going with the same shirt,” he says. “My son was getting a new shirt each year (obviously) as he grew. But I thought keeping the continuity of the same shirt would be cool for me to do — and help stick to my weight goals!”

Image credits: Nick Tomasso