Book Report: Lynsey Addario

Specialist Carl Vandeberge, center, and Sargeant Kevin Rice, behind, are assisted as
they walk to a medevac helicopter minutes after they were both shot in the stomach
during a Taliban ambush, which killed one soldier, and wounded both of them.
Spc. Carl Vandeberge and Sgt. Kevin Rice, were flown out immediately for surgery.
October 23, 2007.
(Photo by Lynsey Addario)
Photo Courtesy of: lynseyaddario.com

After finishing "It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War" by Lynsey Addario I was once again reinforced with inspiration for the commitment Addario has put into her coverage of conflict zones. Every chapter gives you another story that illustrates just how admirable and just how crazy she is to continue her passion. Yet, as the book's title says "It's What I Do," this field is Addario's calling, she feels bound to it and as a result couldn't see herself doing anything else. I found this to be incredibly inspiring and while I myself may not relate to this sense of duty in this capacity, it does show a different perspective and also reinforces just how important journalism, specifically photo journalism, is.

 In an excerpt towards the end of the book on pages 340 and 341, Addario talks about her return to the Syrian border and reminisces about how she has changed through the book.

"As we raced toward the Syrian border, my mind slipped back to 2003, to who I was then: a young woman who wanted nothing more than to travel the world and to document the stories of people and their hardships. I was insatiable to my quest to document the truth with my photographs and threw myself into the midst of any situation without regard for consequences, believing that if my intentions were pure and I focused on my work, I would be OK. Though I still work with the same dedication, I have grown more cautious with every brush with death, with every friend lost. Somewhere along the way my mortality began to matter."

This quote resonates with me the most because it encapsulates the overall journey she has talked about throughout the book. The line "Somewhere along the way my mortality began to matter," is absolutely crazy to me. It implies that her mortality and own life didn't matter beforehand. That she was so committed to her craft that everything else, including her own life, was secondary.

Addario's ability to capture the human experience in some of the most high conflict areas around the globe provides some of the most moving photographs I've seen. Pages 4 & 5, page 62, and page 189 have some of my favorite examples of this.

My favorite photos, however, come from the chapter 9 section of the book in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan on pages 233-235. For me, living in a country that can sometimes like to glorify war through media like movies and video games, these photos are raw depictions of what war really is. Addario's ability to capture the action is crazy to me because if I put myself in that situation I don't know how I could do that. It showcases her courage in the face of danger and the photos are examples of what good photojournalism is.

The main lesson that I learned from this book is to be fearless when you're doing photo journalism. Addario was shot at for god's sake why shouldn't I be able to get a little closer to my subject when I'm covering a clothing drive or a debate.

I think this is a good book for anyone who is passionate about something, not just journalism. It's inspiring to read about just how intense Addario is about photojournalism and it shows exactly what someone can accomplish when they love what they do.