Often, the most important thing you can do for yourself is also the hardest thing. That was Cap’n J’s experience last spring, when his doctor took one look at his knee’s MRI and shook his head. “You’re not getting on a boat this summer.” Those eight words sentenced Joel to spend the first summer of his life ashore, sitting out a record salmon season. A serious financial hit, and an emotional one. But there wasn’t another way.
Still, Joel was lucky. His doctor regarded surgery as a last resort, prescribing instead a summer of intense physical therapy, walking and bicycling, and told him to check back in September for re-evaluation.
Joel channeled his initial depression into determination. If he had to take a summer off from fishing, he would make the most of it, pursuing his other passion, landscape photography. He vowed to gain the strength and mobility to hike into the mountains typically inaccessible by our fall return. June’s halting, timid steps became mid-July’s bicycle rides. Thirteen weeks after one misstep destroyed his ACL, he ventured into Mount Rainier National Park. By August’s end, he was in Glacier National Park, shooting scenes like this one:
On September 16, Joel’s doctor announced that though the knee was still loose, surgery wouldn’t be worth the trauma and physical setbacks it would cause. Signing off, he told his patient, “Have a nice life!”
Cap’n J’s goal was a good one. The mountains had soothed him – “good medicine,” he said – feeding his physical and emotional recovery while adding stunning images to his portfolio. This new material, coupled with the fishing season’s loss and friends’ insistence, motivated him to finally launch his website, Joel Brady-Power Photography. Please visit him there and on Facebook.
He’s organized a tremendous collection of landscape photography – even allowing for my obvious bias. Breathtaking as the images are, I feel equally awed by what’s not visible: the man cradling his camera high in the mountains, higher still for realizing his goal.
Bellingham/Skagit friends, you can enjoy Joel’s work in person over the next two months. In November, he’ll have a metal, canvas and traditional print show at Fairhaven’s Cascadia Physical Therapy. In November and December, visit The Bagelry to view seven metal prints. Local or long distance, my thanks to all of you who have encouraged Joel to share his photography.
Nice work, Buddy. Proud of you!
I love happy endings, and this is a real-life one! Good for Cap’n J and for you for supporting him.
I can easily understand capt joels love of the mountains as I spent most of Octobers when I was in my 20s and early 30s hiking in the rockys myself…sans a camera tho but the memories remain in my mind.
Love your web site, Joel. The photographs are gorgeous! Your healing heals us as well. Glad you and Tele are together again. May your knee continue to heal and may you both have a beautiful autumn and winter. Love, Aunt Lyn
Such an eloquent tribute to a courageous, creative, and resourceful partner who chose lemonade rather than sour regret for his healing. Bravo to both, who did what needed to be done!
Congrats to Cap’n J and his resilience! There are many who might have spent the summer depressed and miserable, but not Joel. Very inspiring! Love his amazing photos and your lovely tribute, Tele. You guys rock.
So glad Joel was given the green light! He’s a model for us all 🙂
Take care you guys and miss you much!
What a fabulous silver lining he found! A true inspiration and excellent work. I’d love to see him do the same for some seascapes once he gets back off land 🙂
The B.D. Has some wall space for you
Tele, Joel’s website is spectacular and offers a haven for peaceful reflection as well as plain old “no shit” appreciation for his talent. It will be a pleasure to share it anywhere and everywhere!
Incredibly beautiful photography AND it dovetails so nicely with your velvet wordsmithiness. Thank you for this! P.S. Glad your man is on the mend!