Lynsey Addario Book Report
Lynsey Addario’s memoir, "It’s What I Do," weaves a captivating life narrative. I would describe her as a modern Indiana Jones, from getting kidnapped, to dodging bullets and missiles, to smuggling herself into dangerous countries, admitting she's American, to trying to convince foes that she's not, it's something that makes you wonder how reality can truly be stranger than fiction. Why a Lynsey Addario would constantly put herself in grave danger constantly kept me on the edge of my seat. Often I couldn't put the book down because I was so captivated by her story. She truly went through the depths of hell to reveal the stories and lives of these hidden people. There were moments in the book where I had to stop and just think of how much suffering some of these people had endured. Addario unveiled the challenges she faced as a photojournalists but also shed light on her personal journey as a woman navigating both the industry and the broader world.
It's hard to pick a specific moment that was most compelling, I found the funny conversation she had with Mohammed stood out to me only because it seemed like initially she was in danger, but it turned out to be very casual, this was the first thing I thought of this question, but the truly captivating moment is the chapter "Women are Casualties of Their Birthplace" following the tragic story of Bibiane. I don't want to go into the gory details for fear it could trigger anyone who may be reading, what a heart wrenching chapter to read, I'm sad for reading, but I believe it's important to make ourselves aware of the evil people experience. I had to put the book down and just take a deep breathe and wonder how these things could actually be existent in our world.
Addario’s work stood out most to me by her unique approach to storytelling through images. In examples of her chapter, "The Most Dangerous Place in the World," we get a glimpse of the danger her and the soldiers saw in Afghanistan.
Addario immerses herself in the lives of her subjects, forging deep connections, which I imagine was the reason why they would allow her to take such captivating photos that would have been forbidden had they seen her as a greater threat. Her portraits reveal raw emotions, whether it’s an African woman’s eyes reflecting years of hardship or a soldier’s weariness on the frontlines.
She masterfully composes her shots, capturing decisive moments that convey the essence of a situation. I found myself staring at her photos for nearly a minute, where normally I would just glance by. Her framing drew me into the heart of conflict and it made me feel like I was there feeling the chaos, pain, and resilience of these weary people.
Addario’s photo often unfold like visual narratives. She strings together a series of images to tell a complete story, which would be enough through her powerful words, but providing extra context and emotional impact really gave a realness to what she had to say about the lives of these people. For instance, her documentation of the aftermath of the Iraq War or the plight of women in the Congo reveals layers of complexity that I find difficult to articulate even after finishing her book. These are often the techniques she is using to illustrate herself as a world renown photojournalist.
I believe the biggest takeaway I could have from Addario is just to go out into the world and start taking photos, remembering how she was under a hail of bullets and remembering the quote from Robert Capa, "If your photos aren't good enough, then you're not close enough." As I initially read that caption I thought of it as a literal sense, but as I read more of her book I noticed it was really took on a metaphorical meaning. Addario became close to all of the people she captured and not just in a physical sense. She heard these stories, spoke to them about their journey, she was able to draw out a raw emotion from these individuals, which resulted in photos that we awe and admire. The lesson I ultimately learned from Addario is to get to know the people I'm taking a picture of instead of just snapping that moment.
This was my favorite photo I saw on Addario's website. So often Addario embeds herself in the lives of the subjects she is capturing. I find myself also staring at this woman and detail the peril she is going through. How I can feel her struggle as she looks for her husband after a massive fire. Addario has the ability to capture a moment and invites you on a journey with that person as if time were stopped. Sure all of us can learn from her courage and bravery, it inspires all of us to think about the impact we can have and how a photo can capture and reveal and give meaning and purpose to the hidden people of this world. I would recommend anyone to go on the same journey with Lynsey Addario and see the lives that she touched in her journey in this book, it gave me inspiration and powerful life lessons.
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