She’s a sun avoidant-SPF addict who wonders how she ended up in the tropics; he’s a nomadic photog with a minor taco dependency. Together, they’re heating things up Under the Palm.
Lauren Rich-Lama, Editor / @lauren.r.lama
Originally hailing from the glorious ‘burbs of Maryland, Lauren spent 15 years having a love affair with New York City before swapping the concrete jungle for the real jungle. Now, you can find her embracing all things luxuriant living – the good, the glamorous to the ungodly flying bugs – in her home base of Tulum, Mexico.
But let’s rewind. A serial entrepreneur, Lauren has been proudly self-employed since earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising & Marketing Communications from the alma mater that will always have her heart, FIT. Past lives have seen her at the helm of an eponymous fashion PR & events agency for nearly a decade, moonlighting as a freelance writer and joining forces with her husband, Alberto, to run a successful wedding photography studio.
A self-described boss babe, slow traveler and sun-avoidant SPF addict who doesn’t particularly like sand, heat or humidity, Lauren often wonders how it is that she ended up in the tropics. Yet here she is, in a state of perpetual sweat radiance and uncontrollably voluminous hair. Embracing her best beach life, she founded Under the Palm in 2023 as an editorial destination for fellow escapists seeking intel on all things lush, balmy and breezy. Going one step further, she now offers bespoke travel planning services as a luxury travel advisor.
On any given day Lauren can be found slathering on the sunscreen, mastering the art of Spanglish and either plotting or recapping exotic adventures – probably while sipping carajillos by the pool.
Alberto Lama Amador, Photographer / @albertolamanyc
Born and raised in vibrant Mexico City, Alberto was drawn to the art of documenting people, places and moments from a young age. He was also drawn to New York City, where he moved on a leap of faith and spent the next 16 years building and evolving his photography career. Think: capturing everything from portraits and still life to weddings and red carpet events (where he had the honor of photographing such luminaries as Sting, Hilary Clinton and Christina Aguilera), even travel editorials – like the time he shot the cover art and 12-page feature story on Mérida, Mexico for the February 2020 issue of WestJet Magazine.
Now, Alberto enjoys life as a nomadic travel photographer in, and out of, his current home base in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. A home base where – unlike his better half – he not only welcomes but inexplicably thrives in all things absurdly hot, humid and sandy. Here, he can also be found questioning the necessity of long pants, working on language #3, Italian, and perpetually searching for the perfect taco al pastor (in Tulum, this spot comes close).
Oh, you can also find Alberto flexing his palm-fringed broker skills at Mayami Real Estate.
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