Lynsey Addario Book Report

“It’s What I do” by Lynsey Addario Book Report

By Emily Jimerson

It’s What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario is an autobiography about Addario’s life and experiences as a conflict photographer and journalist. My favorite anecdote from the book is when Addario met a man named Mohammed in Pakistan while applying for her visa. She hoped to travel to Afghanistan to shoot photos of women living under the Taliban. I really enjoyed Addario and Mohammed’s banter and conversations as they developed a friendship over the weeks that she was there. She taught him about American culture and love and he taught her about his culture and how he dreamed of finding a wife but didn’t have women in his life to help him find one. 

Addario’s photography style and techniques are different from other photojournalists’ because she puts a strong emphasis on forming connections and relationships. In most cases, Addario is not known to rush a photo session. Throughout the book I learned how patient and intentional Addario is about getting to know the people she’s photographing and their backstories. An example of this is from 2008 when she documented the survivor stories of a group of Congolese women who were victims of rape, assault, and sex-trafficking. Addario took her time with each of these interviews and made sure the women felt comfortable enough to share. She gave them space to open up about their trauma and said that some of the stories were so heartbreaking that she burst into tears during the interview. 

I really admire Addario’s bravery and dedication to her field of photography. Even after being kidnapped twice, nearly killed dozens of times, and eventually starting a family, Addario continued traveling to other countries to shoot photo assignments for The New York Times and other publications. I personally don’t think I would keep taking photos in dangerous countries if I ever experienced being kidnapped as a photojournalist, so I really respect her choice to continue. However, I do take my work seriously when it comes to writing and photography so maybe my views on war photography would change if I went into that field. 

I was able to put some of the lessons I gleaned from Addario to use this term at LBCC in my Photojournalism class, mainly by connecting with the people I photograph and being truthful in my blog posts. I’ve really enjoyed getting to do mini interviews with some of the people I’ve photographed because it helps me get to know them better and they usually seem more confident after opening up about their passions and careers. In addition, honesty is one of the most important aspects of journalism. This means recording people’s real names and not exaggerating or fictionalizing information about them.  

A few of my favorite photos that Addario displayed in the book are from when Addario was on assignments in South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Congo. The photo from South Darfur in Sudan is a vibrant and colorful image of two women and a young girl resting under the shade of a mosquito net and being treated for malnutrition. I love how Addario is so talented at capturing people’s raw emotions and expressions through her photography. She paints a clear picture in our minds of what’s going on in other people’s lives and changes our perspective of a situation. The second photo that really stood out to me was taken in 2007 of the Operation Rock Avalanche in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. Lastly, my favorite photo that Addario has ever taken has been my favorite since I first came across it near the beginning of the book. Pictured below is a Congolese woman providing for her children at a camp in Goma, in eastern Congo. I love the contrasting colors in this photo, between the bright flame and pastel sky and the darker shadows around the fire. It’s a beautiful image and gives us a glimpse of what this family’s life might be like. 

Lynsey Addario, 2008

The quote that I found most revealing about Addario’s character in It’s What I Do was actually the very last sentence of the book. “I choose to live in peace and witness war— to experience the worst in people but to remember the beauty” (Addario, p. 269). It shows how Addario focuses on what’s positive even in difficult and life-threatening situations. It also conveys her desire to capture the reality of war and find beauty in it. 

In conclusion, I would highly recommend It’s What I Do to anyone who is learning about photography and photojournalism, and even those who already have that career. It’s a very insightful memoir about the glories and hardships of conflict photojournalism and how much you can achieve through hard work and dedication.