Through years of genealogical research and time spent with property owners, descendants, and veterans, Laura has developed a deeper understanding of how family history shapes identity and the way people move forward. That perspective continues to guide both her work and the stories she chooses to share.

In addition to her fieldwork, Laura volunteers with historical societies and community organizations dedicated to preserving local history. She is an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and has contributed to genealogical research, cemetery preservation efforts, and educational initiatives that help communities connect to their past.

At its core, her work is about remembering. Not just the structures left behind, but the lives connected to them, and the importance of preserving those stories before they’re lost to time.

Two leafless trees with bare branches against a black background.
Two leafless trees with bare branches against a black background.

About Laura Stotts

For more than a decade, Laura Stotts has traveled backroads and small towns documenting historic homes, cemeteries, and overlooked places. Pairing photography with the human stories connected to them, she launched Diary of Abandonment, a long-term effort to remember places, stories, and times.

What began as photographing old structures has grown into a broader body of work centered on preservation, historical research, and storytelling. Her work extends beyond the lens into cemetery documentation, headstone cleaning, and volunteer efforts honoring veterans and their histories. She also participates in living history experiences, stepping into the environments connected to the places she documents.

Through years of genealogical research and time spent with property owners, descendants, and veterans, Laura has developed a deeper understanding of how family history shapes identity and the way people move forward. That perspective continues to guide both her work and the stories she chooses to share.

In addition to her fieldwork, Laura volunteers with historical societies and community organizations dedicated to preserving local history. She is an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and has contributed to genealogical research, cemetery preservation efforts, and educational initiatives that help communities connect to their past.

At its core, her work is about remembering. Not just the structures left behind, but the lives connected to them, and the importance of preserving those stories before they’re lost to time.

Opportunities to collaborate, attend, or follow along can be found throughout the site.

A woman standing in a cemetery next to a large, old stone gravemarker with weathered appearance.
A woman dressed in 19th-century style light blue dress with long sleeves and full skirt, sitting in a rustic kitchen with a stone fireplace and wooden walls, holding a red apple in her hand.
A woman taking a selfie with a vintage camera in an empty, dilapidated room with peeling paint and dirt on the floor, wearing a fitted burgundy dress and black high-heeled shoes.
Woman in a white coat standing next to a gravestone in a cemetery on a clear day.
A woman standing on top of a graffiti-covered wrecked car with a graffitied, upside-down car hood propped up behind her in a desert landscape.
An WW2 Veteran and a woman wearing glasses sitting across from each other at a wooden table, looking at a photo album in a room with glass doors
A woman in brown overalls and sunglasses standing next to a gravestone labeled 'Pope' in a cemetery under a clear blue sky.
A smiling woman with braided hair, wearing a camouflage cap, earrings, a gold necklace, and black overalls, stands in front of a rustic wooden cabin with window and decorative shield.
A woman with dark hair in a short bob, wearing a black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown cowboy boots, holding a camera in her right hand, standing in front of a rustic wooden door and an old mirror in a blue-painted wooden room.

Continue Exploring

Featured In
Featured In
Support the Work
Support the Work
Get in Touch
Get in Touch