Life & Work with Laura Memory Escobar of Hillsborough

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Memory Escobar.

Hi Laura Memory; so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hey friends! My name is Laura Memory, and my amazing husband and 2nd photographer is Drew! We absolutely love working and traveling together. My middle name is Memory! I’ve always been passionate about storytelling, traveling, and capturing people on camera. As an activist Latina, I find purpose in using art to create representative narratives, to take photos and videos that make people feel and think and hopefully allow someone to feel loved by listening and learning. I worked for my school’s morning news show in high school and traveled to Guatemala to make a documentary on art and orphanages. In college, I majored in film production, was a D1 student-athlete, started a student-athlete documentary video series, and traveled to Kenya, Europe, and California for internships. Then, I combined my video, travel, and sports experiences and worked for UNC and ESPN traveling the country with all of Carolina’s teams, making all-access videos. This foundation of years of documentary art, travel, and love for people’s stories led me to become an inclusive destination wedding and elopement photographer. Drew, my husband, second photographer, and travel buddy, gave me the confidence to start my own business in 2018, travel the world for a year in 2019, and start an associate team in 2021. I’m so grateful for the skills I learned as a journalist to help me tell the most genuine story and capture candid moments. I’m thankful for the crazy pace of game days, so I never miss a moment on wedding days and know how to capture those cinematic and dynamic scenes. And I’m. Finally, I’m the most blessed with my Drew, who makes it all fun!

Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a small business, you always have the motivation to keep going, be flexible, and invest in yourself even when times are hard. In 2020, when the pandemic postponed weddings, I was lucky enough to rely on my video roots and started making videos for other companies remotely. But that time at home also allowed me to think about what I loved about my work and how I could realign my business to fit the new world. I finally gathered all my travel photos and created a print shop which made me think about how I could combine travel and weddings. So Drew and I started educating our clients on the best ways to travel and elope while we waited for their bigger celebrations. We started traveling safely to national parks (always masked up and PCR tested before and after), which solidified our niche and brand as a husband and wife destination wedding and elopement photography team. I couldn’t do it without Drew! My other hope is that one day, I don’t need to label myself as an inclusive wedding photographer. That distinction won’t matter because everyone believes, lives, and fights for it. Love and acceptance will one day be the norm.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Drew and I specialize in travel and destination weddings, elopements, and micro weddings. (But we also love local weddings in Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, and Asheville!) Our work is candid, documentary, and cinematic. We love movement, and true-to-life editing, so skin tones and nature’s greens look real. We make sure to capture the beautiful environment and backdrop! We tailor each wedding to each unique couple! No couple is alike; no wedding of ours is the same! We are known to be inclusive of all love, backgrounds, religions, and people. We are most proud of the inclusive, safe, welcoming, and loving reputation we’ve built worldwide! We also practice Leave No Trace when traveling and working, respecting parks, permits, and trail rules, keeping nature clean, and only taking pictures and leaving with memories. What sets us apart is our client experience, transparency, knowledge about travel, activism, and goofy selves. We are total people and truly love making friends with all our couples! We love being a traveling husband and wife team!

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Drew and I are high school sweethearts, and we were born and raised in the Triangle. We moved around the world but returned to the Triangle during the pandemic to be close to family – which was the best decision ever! We love that we are a few hours from the coast, the mountains, and near an international airport! We love Durham’s food and drinks scene, culture, and arts. We love photographing all over the Triangle, from downtowns to parks, lakes, and amazing wedding venues! And Hillsborough’s quaint downtown, hiking, and friendliness make it an NC hidden gem!

Thanks for reading our story and getting to know Drew and me! We would love to get to know you and hear more about your vow renewal, wedding, elopement, engagement, family, or celebration! Head to our website, www.lauramemory.com, to learn more and say hey! We can’t wait to hear from you :D.

Pricing:

• Laura & Drew’s Destination Elopement Pricing starts at $1500
• Laura & Drew’s Wedding Pricing starts at $3000
• Our Amazing Associate Team starts at $2500
• Engagement, Family, Couples, & Boudoir Photography with Laura starts at $400

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lauramemory.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramemoryphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauramemoryphotography
• Linkedin: https://lauramemoryphotography.pic-time.com/-travelprintshop/gallery
• Twitter: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauramemoryphotography
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lauramemoryphotography
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/lauramemoryphoto/

Image Credits
Headshot taken by Samantha Holloway Photography, edited by Laura Memory Photography