Annie Escobar

— Bio —

It was my 18th birthday. I found myself standing in front of a burning landscape of spilled oil in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In that moment, witnessing the horrifying effects of the oil industry on the local population, I made myself a promise. That I would dedicate my life to strengthening humanity. Armed with my camera, I took photos to help those back home connect with the people I met. I didn’t want to create images that confirmed what people already thought of Africa. I wanted to capture everyday moments would make people understand our common humanity. Since that experience, I have continued to pursue this promise by doing storytelling projects in Palestine, South Africa, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ghana, Maryland and New York City. I earned a bachelors in Anthropology and Photography from New York University. Convinced that I couldn’t support myself with photography, I began working towards my Masters of Nonprofit Administration but in the process discovered the power of video to communicate, connect and catalyze. The rest is ListenIn history. I wear many hats at ListenIn including cinematographer, interviewer, blogger and non-profit strategy specialist. I love walking around NYC with my camera, smiling at strangers and random conversations on the subway. I credit my extroverted personality on being one of ten children and having a mom who danced all by herself in the aisle during my middle school band concerts. Let’s share ideas- write me at annie@listeninpictures.com