It's What I Do
In Lynsey Addario’s memoir “It’s What I Do,” the story that stood out to me was when she talked about struggling with dividing her time as a photojournalist in the Middle East, and as Uxval’s girlfriend in Mexico City. As chaotic as her life was at that point, I appreciate how real she is about being two different people and her longing to be where the unknown and action-packed events are. Her struggle between photojournalism and living a typical life is relatable because in high school I always put yearbook first and became completely absorbed in the stories I captured. I also enjoyed hearing about her relationship with some of the translators- like Dashti and Salim. The bonds she made on the field made a huge difference in her experience in the Middle East. She mentioned several times that she felt lonely, but created strong bonds with the people who shared the same passions around her.
Addario’s captures raw emotion in her work and uses color to humanize everyone she shoots, whether they appear innocent or malicious. It does not matter if a photo is clear or not, her photos tell a story by showing reality. One photo that captured my attention was of two U.S. soldiers detaining an Iraqi man. This photo is blurry but you can tell what is going on, and it expresses a sense of being powerless and hostile towards the Iraqi. I feel sad looking at this photo because without the caption providing the context of his crimes, he seems helpless and small against military personnel. Another photo that caught my eye was one of a man grabbing at a strand of a woman’s hair. There is no context of the photo, but I can feel the discomfort on the woman’s face, as it seems the man is touching her without consent.
I can relate to Addario’s sense of duty towards photojournalism in war zones because shooting sports events have high energy and the element of surprise. When I shoot football games, I feel that adrenaline rush because I am consumed by each passing moment. I am in on the action. I am moving as one with the team as they race down the field to watch a teammate score a touchdown. You never know what is going to happen. I have almost gotten hit by football players and gotten kicked off the field by grouchy coaches and irritated (guest) sport directors. I feel a sense of duty to share my experiences with my viewers and readers because when I am on the field, I have a completely different perspective of the game, just as Addario had a completely different perspective than the rest of her country of Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa.
This term I used the lesson of adapting to better my photojournalism. In her memoir, Addario discussed having to adapt to different cultures to get by and be more accepted into different cultures. For instance, she wore the traditional full covering in Afghanistan to become closer to the women and eventually captured their stories by showing her dedication to partake in their culture. When I went to Peru, our team had to adapt to foods, customs, and cultural norms to be accepted. One way I had to adapt was to realize my place as a woman in the village. There is a heavy man-dominant culture in Peru and women are frequently mistreated and taken advantage of. To get the men or high school boys to open up more, I was my friendly self, but also recognize my place in their society. Additionally, when Addario was in Africa, she often cried during interviews with women who endured gang rape and kidnapping. This taught me that it is okay to be emotionally invested in the people you interview. During interviews I find myself thinking of the next question to ask and ignoring what they are saying. I applied this lesson to my photojournalism by listening to what the woman of Peru had to say about the abuse they endure from male family members.
My favorite examples of her work are the photo of a mother kissing her son, U.S. Marines shaving their faces together, and the man leading on a wall while surrounded by bodies. The mother kissing her sn stands out to me because it is one of the only photos in the book that gives off the feeling of rest and love. It is a nice break from the death and violence she captures, which gives hope in the inherently good. I like the soldiers shaving because despite being in the middle of the war, they are still able to connect with one another and familiarity. If it were not for the setting, the men would be back home in the locker rooms and living their lives as if they were not in the middle of the war. Lastly, I like the photo of the man surrounded by bodies simply because it is depressing and painful. Addario witnessed a lot of horrible things many of us are blessed never to get close to experiencing, yet she captured those painful moments to share that pain.
"The sadness and injustice I encountered as a journalist could either sink me into a depression or open the door to a new vision of my own life."
This quote resonated with me because we can choose to look at life with either outlook and our success and happiness depends on whether we are open to new ideas and experiences, or would rather hurt. We can choose to turn pain into a lesson and give it meaning. It is like a breakup. You chose to love someone, but then you lost them. You can either take that pain and be consumed by it or examine the relationship and learn from the pain it caused you. I strive to choose to open doors to new visions rather than dwell in self-pity.
I would recommend this book to others because it is well written and jam-packed with adventure, difficult topics, and struggle. I want to lend this book to a woman from my church because she shared with me once that if she did not have her husband and kids to worry about hurting, she would be a war photographer. This book had me on edge yet at peace while reading her journey and I think anyone who wants some perspective should pick up this book. Her memoir is just as real and raw as her photos, which share a side of humanity that rarely shows up in our safe first-world countries.
Addario’s captures raw emotion in her work and uses color to humanize everyone she shoots, whether they appear innocent or malicious. It does not matter if a photo is clear or not, her photos tell a story by showing reality. One photo that captured my attention was of two U.S. soldiers detaining an Iraqi man. This photo is blurry but you can tell what is going on, and it expresses a sense of being powerless and hostile towards the Iraqi. I feel sad looking at this photo because without the caption providing the context of his crimes, he seems helpless and small against military personnel. Another photo that caught my eye was one of a man grabbing at a strand of a woman’s hair. There is no context of the photo, but I can feel the discomfort on the woman’s face, as it seems the man is touching her without consent.
I can relate to Addario’s sense of duty towards photojournalism in war zones because shooting sports events have high energy and the element of surprise. When I shoot football games, I feel that adrenaline rush because I am consumed by each passing moment. I am in on the action. I am moving as one with the team as they race down the field to watch a teammate score a touchdown. You never know what is going to happen. I have almost gotten hit by football players and gotten kicked off the field by grouchy coaches and irritated (guest) sport directors. I feel a sense of duty to share my experiences with my viewers and readers because when I am on the field, I have a completely different perspective of the game, just as Addario had a completely different perspective than the rest of her country of Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa.
This term I used the lesson of adapting to better my photojournalism. In her memoir, Addario discussed having to adapt to different cultures to get by and be more accepted into different cultures. For instance, she wore the traditional full covering in Afghanistan to become closer to the women and eventually captured their stories by showing her dedication to partake in their culture. When I went to Peru, our team had to adapt to foods, customs, and cultural norms to be accepted. One way I had to adapt was to realize my place as a woman in the village. There is a heavy man-dominant culture in Peru and women are frequently mistreated and taken advantage of. To get the men or high school boys to open up more, I was my friendly self, but also recognize my place in their society. Additionally, when Addario was in Africa, she often cried during interviews with women who endured gang rape and kidnapping. This taught me that it is okay to be emotionally invested in the people you interview. During interviews I find myself thinking of the next question to ask and ignoring what they are saying. I applied this lesson to my photojournalism by listening to what the woman of Peru had to say about the abuse they endure from male family members.
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| LynseyAddario.com |
"The sadness and injustice I encountered as a journalist could either sink me into a depression or open the door to a new vision of my own life."
This quote resonated with me because we can choose to look at life with either outlook and our success and happiness depends on whether we are open to new ideas and experiences, or would rather hurt. We can choose to turn pain into a lesson and give it meaning. It is like a breakup. You chose to love someone, but then you lost them. You can either take that pain and be consumed by it or examine the relationship and learn from the pain it caused you. I strive to choose to open doors to new visions rather than dwell in self-pity.
I would recommend this book to others because it is well written and jam-packed with adventure, difficult topics, and struggle. I want to lend this book to a woman from my church because she shared with me once that if she did not have her husband and kids to worry about hurting, she would be a war photographer. This book had me on edge yet at peace while reading her journey and I think anyone who wants some perspective should pick up this book. Her memoir is just as real and raw as her photos, which share a side of humanity that rarely shows up in our safe first-world countries.
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