A body of work that evolved beyond the photograph.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork
A body of work that evolved beyond the photograph.
Beyond the Lens
Diary of Abandonment began with capturing fading farmhouses and the traces left behind. Often referred to as “Proof of Life,” these images reveal the everyday details that tell the stories of those who came before.
Over the past decade, more than 1,000 sites in 22 states have been documented over multiple trips across the country, capturing ghost towns and forgotten communities along the way. Many of have since been demolished, burned, or lost to time, underscoring the importance of documenting them before they’re gone.
Time in the field led to meaningful friendships, a growing commitment to veterans, and a deeper connection to local history. That work expanded into community engagement, historical reenactment, presentations, speaking engagements, involvement in historical societies, and the launch of a headstone cleaning and cemetery preservation business.
Beyond the Lens
Diary of Abandonment began with capturing fading farmhouses and the traces left behind. Often referred to as “Proof of Life,” these images reveal the everyday details that tell the stories of those who came before.
Over the past decade, more than 1,000 sites in 22 states have been documented over multiple trips across the country, capturing ghost towns and forgotten communities along the way. Many of have since been demolished, burned, or lost to time, underscoring the importance of documenting them before they’re gone.
Time in the field led to meaningful friendships, a growing commitment to veterans, and a deeper connection to local history. That work expanded into community engagement, historical reenactment, presentations, speaking engagements, involvement in historical societies, and the launch of a headstone cleaning and cemetery preservation business.
What’s left behind doesn’t disappear. It waits.
Genealogy
Genealogy extends beyond the histories of old homes and the families who once lived in them. Through careful study, connections emerge, revealing how place, lineage, and lived experience shape identity across generations.
This work was brought into sharper focus through time spent serving as a volunteer genealogist for a World War II veteran, where research became something more personal, illustrating how closely our stories are often intertwined.
Today, genealogy remains a central part of the work, with research available for individuals, families, and historic properties seeking to uncover their connections to place.
Genealogy
Genealogy extends beyond the histories of old homes and the families who once lived in them. Through careful study, connections emerge, revealing how place, lineage, and lived experience shape identity across generations.
This work was brought into sharper focus through time spent serving as a volunteer genealogist for a World War II veteran, where research became something more personal, illustrating how closely our stories are often intertwined.
Today, genealogy remains a central part of the work, with research available for individuals, families, and historic properties seeking to uncover their connections to place.
Featured on WBTV News
A long-lost connection uncovered through research.
Featured on WBTV News
A long-lost connection uncovered through research.
Cemetery Preservation
Over time, the focus extended beyond documentation and research. Preservation became a natural next step, shaped by time spent in historic cemeteries and around grave markers that required attention.
That effort led to the creation of Grave Conditions, a cemetery preservation and headstone cleaning service providing professional services for families, churches, and historic cemeteries.
Through careful, hands-on methods, stones are cleaned, documented, and made legible again for those who come looking for them. Guided by National Park Service standards, each stone is handled properly and without harm.
Each stone holds a name. The work is making sure it can still be read.
Cemetery Preservation
Over time, the focus extended beyond documentation and research. Preservation became a natural next step, shaped by time spent in historic cemeteries and around grave markers that required attention.
That effort led to the creation of Grave Conditions, a cemetery preservation and headstone cleaning service providing professional services for families, churches, and historic cemeteries.
Through careful, hands-on methods, stones are cleaned, documented, and made legible again for those who come looking for them. Guided by National Park Service standards, each stone is handled properly and without harm.
Each stone holds a name. The work is making sure it can still be read.
How It’s Done
A closer look at the process behind preservation.
How It’s Done
A closer look at the process behind preservation.
Living History
Living history is rooted in active participation. Through Civil War reenactments, docent roles, and volunteer preservation efforts, history is interpreted and shared in ways that connect communities to the past.
This includes assisting with historic site upkeep, chinking and daubing log cabins, volunteering with historical societies, and supporting events and commemorative ceremonies. It’s an approach grounded in involvement, where places are cared for and the stories tied to them continue to be remembered.
Living History
Living history is rooted in active participation. Through Civil War reenactments, docent roles, and volunteer preservation efforts, history is interpreted and shared in ways that connect communities to the past.
This includes assisting with historic site upkeep, chinking and daubing log cabins, volunteering with historical societies, and supporting events and commemorative ceremonies. It’s an approach grounded in involvement, where places are cared for and the stories tied to them continue to be remembered.
