Lynsey Addario Book Report

“The familiar sound of a bomb jolted me awake. It was a sound I had grown used to in Iraq. But I didn't believe it. Uxval shook me. ‘That was a bomb!’ ‘Are you crazy?’ I was annoyed. As if he knows what a bomb sounds like. [...] ‘There is debris in the air. That was a bomb. Get your cameras.’” Lynsey Addario’s “It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War” is a highly intriguing book with a great balance of drama and teachable moments. There are a few funny anecdotal moments like the bomb one. It’s interesting to see how photojournalists can become desensitized to the sound of a bomb going off, but also still have the nerve to pick up a camera and rush out there to capture the chaos that follows it.

I think Addario has a special ability to connect with and show the life of women and mothers during a time of crisis. When I think of war photojournalism, I picture tanks and militia. However, Addario is able to connect with these people on a deeper level.

Lynsey Addario has a special type of commitment, bravery, and craziness to be pursuing war to the degree that she does. I can understand having the motivation to capture the best photographs, but I don’t believe I could fight my instincts to flee active war zones in order to photograph what’s going on. Photography is a very powerful tool, but I personally would have a hard time justifying life and death moments for it. All the more reason why works by Addario are very compelling.

One trait of photojournalism that I’ve been working to conquer is courage when photographing strangers. During Albany’s June 2nd protest, it was a little scary to get in front of people and take their picture, especially people who are yelling and protesting. However, taking the first step forward to actually get out there in front of people yielded some of the best photographs, which is something a lot of great photojournalists do as well.

(pg 103)

The overall lighting and composition in this photo plays a big part of being incredible. The way the camera is positioned gives angles to the scene is perceived as action and dynamicness, while at the same time subtly making it seem like the woman is pushing uphill.

This was also an image that Lynsey Addario talked about in her Zoom interview with Nikon and on her website.

The above image of the soldiers is an image featured in Addario’s website and one she discussed in a Nikon Creator’s Hour interview. This is such an interesting image because it shows the vulnerability of American soldiers in current conflict — Addario describes this image as a fallen soldier the others are carrying. Another important aspect of this image is the anguish on the lead soldier as the run for medical evac.

 “‘Who has gotten separated since the start of the war?’ and almost everyone in the room raised their hand. There were so many divorces after the fall of the Taliban, many more after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Our partners got tired of waiting, and rightly so” (101). I still believe this is one of the most powerful quotes in the book. It describes the unique sacrifices that Addario and other photjournalists are enduring in order to document the truth of these areas torn by war. The extreme dedication to their work is rare among many people. It’s interesting to see that even after partners threatened to leave, they still believed their work in these countries were more important.

I believe Lysney Addario’s book is important for any aspiring photojournalist to read. It shows the grim reality of war but shows how photojournalists operate on a professional, creative, and technical level.