Pictober Challenge 2025
Pictober is a month-long black-and-white photography challenge held every October on deviantArt, moderated by two passionate photographers from France. Participants explore their archives and surroundings to fulfill daily prompts, totaling 31 throughout the month. The prompts are provided weeks in advance, with the main rules requiring that all photos be in black-and-white and must be original, meaning they cannot have been uploaded previously. Below are my entries for the 2025 Pictober Challenge.
Day 1. Hope.
“Hopes and Dreams”, Braddock, PA 2025
An infrared shot (I believe 720nm) of mural on the side of a building. The reason I chose this image is because it not only literally depicts hope, but also represents hope for the future since it is located in a neighborhood with many vacant buildings that have been repurposed, have had murals painted, and have been reoccupied.
Day 2. Flavorful. “A Most Flavorful Snack” Pittsburgh, PA 2025
One of the younger gorillas in the exhibit ventured off on their own to sit in the sun and enjoy snacking on some of the vegetation in the enclosure. My wife and I watched as it scurried across the exhibit, independent from its mother, to have what looked to be a quiet, peaceful moment.
Day 3. Parasite. “A Hollow Appetite” La Push, WA 2025
This photo evokes the imagery of a parasite, with the moss-covered opening in the tree resembling an organism devouring the rocks nestled within. Though not a true parasite, the scene captures a unique symbiosis between nature and the elements, suggesting an intriguing relationship as if the tree were feasting on the stones.
Day 4. Leaflet. “Quiet Reveal on a Noisy Street Corner" Pittsburgh, PA 2025
Capturing a "Leaflet" was a challenge since it isn't something that wasn't already in my library. My wife and I took to the streets after lunch in search of flyers, pamphlets, leaflets, or any sort of printed material that might be interesting. After crossing one of the roads, we saw a utility pole littered with flyers--surely something interesting had to be there. That's when I saw a face looking back at me (I did not rip the paper).
Day 5. Introversion. "A Sanctuary of One" Pittsburgh, PA 2025
A man doing a digital sketch in the corner of a quiet cafe. I was able to snap the photo candidly without looking at my camera.
Day 6. Defy. “Defiant Growth” Rankin, PA 2024
Captured at the site of a former steel mill, this image showcases a resilient weed breaking through a long-sealed passageway, a poignant reminder of nature's determination to reclaim and recover.
Day 7. Surface. “Textured Growth”, Pittsburgh, PA 2021
This image features three distinct surfaces: cement block, glass, and organic growth in the form of vines. The intricate pattern of the vines particularly caught my attention.
Day 8. Elf. “A Ballet of Mythical Beings",
Times Square, New York, NY 2025
Taken in Times Square in New York City during the Midnight Minute. The billboards disappeared as hundreds gathered for 3 minutes to experience a digital art display before the ads return.
Note: The terms for Pictober are given in French and translated to English. While this is loosely related to the "elf" theme, I researched the French term "lutin" and saw multiple mythical creatures including gnomes, elves, fairies, and even gargoyles. I took the liberty of considering these mythical figures as residing in the same realm.
More Information from TimesSquareNYC.org: "Midnight Moment is the world’s largest, longest-running digital art exhibition, synchronized on over 92 electronic billboards throughout Times Square nightly from 11:57pm to midnight. The...program showcases video works that employ the body and movement to pay tribute to intersecting cultural histories and enact Indigenous technologies."
Artist featured on the marquees is Cannupa Hanska Luger and the title of their work is Midéegaadi
Day 9. Isolate. “Fogbound Solitude” Monroeville, PA 2024
Interestingly enough, the fog on this morning was sitting at higher elevations only and not in its usual, lower lying areas. I went to a local park situated on top of a hill with the idea of photographing this row of trees and playing with perspective when I noticed a man walking his dog (the only other beings in the park).
Day 10. Extinction. “Nature’s Remants” La Push, WA 2025
Taken on a Native American reservation on the Pacific Ocean. Storms can sometimes be so violent that entire trees will be uprooted and carried out into the ocean and washed ashore, as seen here. This photo was taken just before sunset as the animals that now call these fallen trees home were gathering their dinner and making preparations for the night.
Day 11. Accumulate. “Post Alley’s Adherence” Seattle, WA 2025
Years of chewing gum accumulating on the wall and all structural objects including the gas meters in Post Alley beneath the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington.
Day 12. Emotion. “Spontaneous Joy” Dormont, PA 2021
Looking through my archives, it became clear that I do not photograph emotion very often--perhaps because of nerves or the anxiety of approaching people. It's something that I want to work on in the future.
This photo was taken at street concert during the Christmas season, two children, seemingly strangers, were immersed in the rhythm of the folk music played by a band including a man dressed as a Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" when he comes downstairs in his pink bunny outfit. (If you're keeping track, that is folk music at Christmas time with a man dressed as an Easter Bunny)
Each of the kids were dancing to their own beat for a few minutes, but their parents encouraged them to connect. The children immediately grasped each other's hands and begin to jump and twirl, sharing laughter and carefree moments that capture the essence of childhood joy.
Day 13. Weave. “Woven Through Time” Near Arona, PA 2023
After dropping off some artwork at a local art show, I noticed a fence along a relatively busy rural road. Positioned on a hill, the fence was set back from the roadway with no convenient areas to pull over. To get a clear shot, I drove back and forth several times until I ensured there were no cars behind me. Then, I safely stopped to take a photograph from my car. I hadn’t thought much about the photo (taken in 2023) until seeing today’s prompt, “weave”.
Day 14. Vase. “Rainy Day Blooms”, Seattle, WA, 2025
We knew one of the potential drawbacks about visiting Seattle was going to be its rainy weather. Oddly enough, it only rained on the first day of the trip and the rest of the time had beautiful clear skies—great for transportation but I really like photographing rainy urban scenes. This image was taken inside at one of the vendors’ stalls in the Pike Place market as the crowd outside seeks shelter either under their umbrellas or the shop awnings. The contrast of warm, colorful, and lively floral arrangements inside versus the cool, seemingly lifeless early spring grayness outside was enough to capture my attention.
The “vase” in this photo is what I am considering to be the buckets containing the flowers.
Day 15. Coexist. “Pollenated Coexistence” Monongahela, PA 2025
When visiting a local farm for its fall festivities with my family, my wife and I enjoy picking the wildflowers and taking them home to make a bouquet. This was a particularly warm day and still early enough in October where the flowers were still vibrant and the pollinators were out gathering their pollen.
Because of the number of bees and my wife's allergies, I went into the rows of flowers while my wife held the container we had purchased from the farm to hold the flowers. I was initially taking photos of monarch butterflies when my wife noticed a bee and butterfly sitting together on the same flower. Thankfully the conditions were perfect: scene was in good lighting, about 15 feet away, had telephoto lens equipped, and settings were almost perfect. I wasted no time and took as many shots as I could, drawing closer each time. In all, the moment lasted about 5 seconds.
Note: I took a more high-key approach to processing this photo to make the forms of the bee and butterfly provide the visual interest. When converted straight to monochrome, the image looked much flatter than its color version, and high-key seemed to be the best solution.
Day 16. Inaudible. “A Penguin’s Silent Swim” Pittsburgh, PA 2025
Taken through an underwater portal of the penguin exhibit at the local aviary. The room, about 2 feet tall (and designed for children) was oddly quiet with all of the padding, protective glass, and water. I waited for a penguin to swim by the portal on my hands and knees (and away from the algae on the left side of the glass).
Day 17. Axis. Untitled, near Slickville, PA 2025
This photo was taken inside of a corn crib at a farm that was generously opened to photographers in my local group for a few hours. While the crib itself was not open to go inside, I was able to temporarily remove a board and get my camera inside with a 16mm lens.
Day 18. Utopia. “Veil of Mist, Dress of White” near Big Sur, CA 2024
Taken off of Highway 1 in California, a woman posing for a photo on the seaside cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Day 19. Appearance. “Mirror in the Sky” Jersey City, NJ 2025
After a tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, I wouldn't help but notice tall buildings of New York City and NJ. On this day, one of the buildings with a glass front appeared to blend into to the background of the cloudy blue sky.
Day 20. Willingness. “Ready, Willing, and Able: Moro Rock” Sequoia National Park, CA 2024
Hiking Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park isn't the most physically demanding hike, but it takes some strong will and determination to reach the top with its winding staircases and narrow passage ways. The trail to the top of the rock has approximately 350 steps juts out over a valley with ~1000 foot drops on both sides.
During the hike to the top, several people turned around and told us that they have had enough and needed to go back. We pushed forward, eventually making it to the top.
Day 21. Arrange. Untitled, near Slickville, PA 2025
A photography group that I am a part of was able to tour a farm of one of the member's relatives. There were many scenes with old farm equipment and antiques. This particular display was arranged in such a perfect yet imperfect way in that all of the objects were displayed neatly, but none of the shelves were very level.
Day 22. Self-Effacing. “Alone on the Dunes” White Sands National Park, NM 2014
The silhouette of a person standing on top of the sand dunes as the sun sets. At that time, the breeze was turning more into a wind and the finer sand particles began to take flight giving a fog-like effect. The dune field gives way to the San Andres mountains in the background, giving a sense of the enormity of the environment against the tiny figure standing atop the dunes.
Day 23. Multitude. “The Urban Oasis” New York City, NY 2025
A man waits for his change at a street vendor with a multitude of items in New York City. Getting a shot without pedestrians walking by was challenging. Looking back, I spent the whole next day in the rain and probably should have purchased the umbrella for sale on the right side of the image.
Day 24. Glow. “Ghosts in the Barn” near Slickville, PA 2025
On the same day at the same farm where "Day 21 - Arrange" this image was taken in one of the old barns in the back corner. The light was piercing through the slats illuminating the sheet-covered furniture giving the impression of ghosts.
The lighting on this shot was difficult to meter, but thankfully with mirrorless and digital it's as easy as a couple test shots and trusting the histogram. The angle was also difficult, because I had to lean over a trailer and then hold my camera over a wooden railing to get the shot. Again, not too bad with digital, but still had to get the settings to keep the details in the highlights with enough room in the shadows to really bring out the textures of the stacked wood and other objects.
Day 25. Maze. “Labyrinth in Lawrenceville” Pittsburgh, PA 2025
I selected this image of winding streets on a hill for Day 25, Maze, because it visually mimics the way our eyes roam when navigating a maze. The lack of a central focal point emphasizes this idea, creating a sense of disorientation. Taken with a 100-400mm lens, the compression of the scene enhances the chaotic feel, drawing the viewer into the intricate pathways and vibrant interplay of lines.
Day 26. Mutation. “Guardian of the Abandoned Home” Worthington, PA 2024
When touring a nearby “ghost town”, I was greeted with all kinds of sights. One house was still decorated for Christmas and another had old newspaper clippings from the 1970s scattered about. What I didn’t expect was to come across someone in a movie-quality costume roaming about the houses. I asked to snap a picture as they were leaving one of the houses and was given a thumbs up.
The ghost town is called “Yellow Dog Village” and there were nearly two dozen of homes scattered over three streets to tour. While the limestone mine closed in the 1950s, the last family didn’t move out until 2010. In 2014, the village was purchased (and has since been sold again). The public is welcome to tour by appointment only.
Day 27. Tyrannical. “Double Attention” Pittsburgh, PA 2025
Before heading out to the park to enjoy the fall foliage, a scene caught my eye: two dogs in the car next to mine—a Rottweiler and a Doberman. What particularly amused me was a mini Rottweiler bobblehead intently peering out of the front windshield. I couldn’t help but imagine how amusing it would be if the actual Rottweiler matched the bobblehead's expression.
After a wait of about 15 minutes, I finally got my chance. Just as their heads lined up perfectly, I captured the moment.
Day 28. Fascinate. “Silver Clouds All Around” Pittsburgh, PA 2024
Taken in the Warhol Museum, the room is filled with silver, helium filled balloons and fans that move the balloons around. Sometimes the balloons clump up together and sometimes they make their way through the doorway and head out into the museum.
I really liked this shot of my wife being obscured by the floating "clouds", the position of the balloons with relatively even spacing, and all of the light reflecting off of the metallic balloons and all over the room.
Day 29. Reduce. “Nature’s Last Stand” Brady Township, PA 2024
Driving on a rural highway when this tree caught my eye in the middle of an open lot. I had to turn around a few times to find the best place to safely stop for a photo as well as to not trespass.
Despite its solitary remaining branch, the tree was starting to bud with the promise of spring. This sight was a reminder that life often throws challenges our way, leaving us feeling vulnerable, much like that single branch. Yet, as long as there’s life within us, we must press on and embrace the journey ahead.
Day 30. Fly. “Embracing the Thrill”Santa Cruz, CA 2024
This photo was taken in Santa Cruz, California with a Papershoot camera (a camera with a fixed lens, circuit board, and a cardboard sleeve). The camera has a shutter that doesn’t fire right away and a viewfinder that is just a hole in the cardboard, so it’s hard to say exactly when the photo was going to be taken and what all was in the frame. Luckily, this shot was lined up how I envisioned it (had to wait until we got to the hotel to see the photos since there is no screen) and the timing of the person with their outstretched arms couldn’t have been better.
Day 31. Intense. Untitled, Toronto, ON 2018
While on our honeymoon, my wife and I visited Toronto for a couple days—including this walk through the Allen Lambert Galleria. The high ceilings of the steel and glass atrium commanded attention for its intense design and sheer size. I personally liked the lines of the long, narrow corridor.