Staff photojournalist Laura Stoecker has been with the Daily Herald for almost seven years. Her interest in photography began in high school when her father bought her a camera for a trip to Austria with a friend.  Knowing she wanted a career in photography but not sure what area, Laura took a class in photojournalism and quickly realized it would be her career path. She went on to get her bachelor’s in fine arts from Columbia College.

Laura met the Branson family in April of 2003 at a fundraiser for Luke and Zach and has been documenting their life ever since for this project.

Apart from photojournalism, Laura enjoys photographing nature and wildlife. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and rehabbing her century-old home in Kane County with her husband, John.