What started as a spontaneous father-son moment has evolved into an 11-year tradition that perfectly captures the essence of photography's power to document life's journey. Nick Tomasso and his son Jackson have been taking annual Batman-themed photos together, creating a touching visual timeline that has recently captured the hearts of thousands online.
The tradition began completely by accident, as Nick Tomasso explains to PetaPixel. "The first picture was just cool to take together, having your son wear a shirt similar to yours - good father-son moment," he recalls. The following year brought another coincidental Batman photo when both father and son received new Batman shirts during the holiday season and happened to be wearing them when they took a picture together.
It wasn't until the third year that Tomasso realized he had stumbled upon something special. "It wasn't until year three that I realized I had created a tradition," he says. "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." From that moment forward, the annual Batman photo became a cherished ritual for the father-son duo.
Now, every fall, Nick and Jackson carefully plan their yearly Batman photo session. They make an effort to schedule the shoot as close as possible to Batman Day, which falls on September 20th each year. The collection has grown to include 11 photos, and when Nick recently shared the series on Reddit, the post received overwhelming support with over 10,000 upvotes from users touched by the heartwarming tradition.
The photo series offers more than just a glimpse into the passage of time - it also serves as an inadvertent documentation of smartphone camera technology evolution. As Nick has upgraded his Samsung devices over the years, the image quality has noticeably improved with each annual photo. "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 explains. The changing aspect ratios throughout the series also reflect the different sensors used in each phone generation. He even reminisces about his mobile phone history, noting, "I also remember my first cell phone ever - Motorola Star Tac, and my worst cell phone ever - Blackberry Storm."
One particularly striking aspect of the photo collection is Jackson's consistent ability to make perfect eye contact with the camera lens in every single frame. This wasn't always an easy feat, as Nick admits: "[That] definitely took some time and patience, especially in the early years." However, as Jackson has grown older, the process has become much more streamlined. "As the years progressed, it became much easier and quicker," Nick adds.
The dedication to maintaining continuity in the photo series extends beyond just showing up each year. After recognizing the tradition's significance in year three, Nick made a conscious decision to preserve the visual consistency of his appearance. "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 explains. His Batman shirt now lives in storage for most of the year, only emerging for the annual photo session.
While Jackson naturally requires new Batman shirts each year as he grows, Nick's commitment to wearing the same shirt serves multiple purposes. "My son was getting a new shirt each year (obviously) as he grew," Nick notes. "But I thought keeping the continuity of the same shirt would be cool for me to do - and help stick to my weight goals!" This practical approach adds an extra layer of personal motivation to the already meaningful tradition, showing how photography projects can inspire positive lifestyle choices.
