It’s been a while since I updated this website. On August 9th, I was photographing and filming at the Fallasburg Covered Bridge in Lowell, Michigan. I’d decided that I wanted to try filming more cinematic videos for YouTube, so I came with multiple cameras: the A7R IV I was shooting with, along with an A7ii and GoPro Hero9 for filming. Towards the end of the shoot, I thought it’d be a good idea to get some footage of the water flowing under the bridge to use as b-roll.
Along the bottom of the bridge, there were numerous rocks I’d have to cross in order to get to where I intended to set the GoPro up. What I hadn’t considered was that there was a lot of dew on the ground that morning, so my shoes were wet and the rocks were slippery. I didn’t get very far before I fell, experiencing a feeling of intense pain. I thought it would be something I could walk off, so I tried to get up–until I realized I couldn’t stand. I looked down at my leg, and saw two things that surprised me: blood and bone.
After calling 911 and being transported to a hospital emergency room, I’d find out that I ruptured my quadriceps tendon and fractured my patella. I had to have surgery that night, and spent the next day in the hospital on an orthopedic floor. I was discharged with a brace which forced me to keep my leg in a straight position. I was also given a prescription for painkillers–which it’d turn out I’d need.
Due to the position my leg was in, I was stuck on my couch or in bed for the first few weeks following the accident. After a while, I was able to sit at my computer desk for short periods of time before it became too painful. After three-and-a-half weeks, the original brace was removed and replaced with one that articulated–allowing my knee to bend up to 40 degrees. Although this provided me with new freedom of movement, that movement came with a considerable amount of pain. Due to this, I continued to keep my leg mostly straight for the next several weeks.
Around the time I got the second brace, I started physical therapy–something I’m still doing to this date. It’s been over four months since the accident, and the physical therapy regimen has finally gotten me to the point where I can sit comfortably at my computer desk with my knee bent. I can also walk fairly normally, so long as I avoid hills or fast-paced movement. I’m at the point now where I feel like I can start getting out for photography shoots again–which is exciting.
With this update, I want to stress that I am now in a position where I can commit once again to updating this page on a regular basis. Moreover, I’m hopeful that 2022 will bring new subscribers on YouTube and hopefully a small revenue stream from there. All my content thus far has been created for free, with YouTube profiting 100% off any ads on my videos.