Joe Berman is Aging with Gratitude
You can see it in his eyes, and much more
The Aging with Gratitude™ project is a passion project I started in June of 2026. My passion for photography and storytelling is at the heart of my work.
My mission is to capture portraits of amazing human beings alongside the stories behind them. Stories of struggle and transformation. Conversations with people who have lived, suffered, recovered, lost, rebuilt, loved, failed, forgiven, and kept going. People who carry wisdom in their wrinkles. People who know life is both beautiful and hard — people who have become more fully human.
Aging with gratitude means we’re at a stage in life where we can look back and be thankful for the journey through hell and back. It hurt so much that it profoundly changed us.
Joe Berman and I met about ten years ago through a mutual acquaintance
We shared coffee, and I gave him an acrylic painting I had recently finished. I sensed immediately that we were kindred souls. We have stayed in touch and see each other off and on.
Born in Denver in 1973, Joe remembers fishing with his father as one of the happiest parts of his childhood.
His greatest challenge came in April 2019, when degenerative disc failure caused a traumatic spinal injury. His chin became pinned toward his chest. The symptoms felt almost like a stroke, and the pain was extreme.
Joe’s response was direct: attack it, take charge, and do the work. That mindset helped carry him through a difficult two-year recovery.
He is most grateful for his mother, Terri, who never gave up on him. Last year, Joe finally told her he was “ready to fly free.”
He is also grateful for Tiffany, his wife, and his 18-year-old son, Noah, a young thespian whom Joe encourages to become himself fully.
Joe has fought many battles without losing his joy. It is easy to love him because he embodies love.
The portrait session at The Thumb
I texted Joe on a whim earlier this week. Asked him if he could rally for a portrait session. Joe rides his e-bike to work most days. He serves as general manager at The Thumb, a one-of-a-kind North Scottsdale destination that combines award-winning barbecue, a bakery, a gift shop, a gas station, and a full-service car wash. When he’s not working, he loves hiking and spending quality time with friends and family.
Without hesitation, he invited me to meet him at work, where he’s overseeing a major renovation project. We exchanged a big hug and warm smiles. I set up in the corner of the restaurant area. During the portrait session, Joe was exactly the man I have come to know. Open, playful, present, and completely himself.
At first, you notice the glasses
As if to see them as the custom windows to the eyes, then his soul. They are bold, slightly eccentric, and impossible to ignore. I complimented him because they suit him well.
Then your eyes move beyond the frames and meet his expression. There is alertness there, but no hardness. His eyes carry the awareness of someone who has suffered, fought back, and learned not to waste the life he reclaimed.
His smile is wide and unguarded. It does not feel posed. It feels like Joe. You can almost hear him laughing before the photograph was taken and again after the shutter clicked. Within about nine shots, we were done.
Easy subject, compassionate nature
His Thumb shirt tells another part of the story. Joe is proud of his work and the people he serves. His tattooed arm, his beard, and the lines across his face reveal a man who has lived fully rather than carefully.
As I photographed him, I kept thinking about the contrast. The black background holds the darkness he has known, while his face seems to rise out of it with warmth and light.
That is Joe Berman.
He has been hurt, but he is not bitter. He has faced fear, but he remains joyful. He has fought for his life, and now he seems determined to love every mile of it.
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