Lynsey Addario

It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War -
Lynsey Addario
5 stars

I’m not usually a fan of memoirs. I find that they deteriorate into a tedious listing of events or a name dropping catalog. Neither is true of this memoir. It was interesting, compelling and terrifying from beginning to end.

In the very first chapter, Addario tells of her March 2011 kidnapping in Libya. At the point where she and her colleagues are bound, gagged and helpless, Addario breaks off this show more riveting first person account with a paragraph that asks the obvious question. Why was she there? Why did she chose the life of a conflict photojournalist?

“When I return home and rationally consider the risks, the choices are difficult. But when I am doing my work, I am alive and I am me. It’s what I do. I am sure there are other versions of happiness, but this one is mine.”

The rest of the book is devoted to answering that question. She begins with her early years, her loving family, her first camera. She describes how she grew as a photographer and developed her passion for photojournalism. Addario is direct about her competitive professional goals and her artistic aspirations. She is frank about her personal life; the difficulties of balancing her demanding and dangerous career with any kind of healthy relationship. She is passionate about the subjects she photographs. She is committed to the visual power of photographic truth telling.

“I became fascinated by the notion of dispelling stereotypes or misconceptions through photography, of presenting the counterintuitive.”

“Trying to convey beauty in war was a technique to try to prevent the reader from looking away or turning the page in response to something horrible. I wanted them to linger, to ask questions.”

“With my subjects—the thousands of people I have photographed—I have shared the joy of survival, the courage to resist oppression, the anguish of loss, the resilience of the oppressed, the brutality of the worst of men and the tenderness of the best.” show less

This remarkable memoir explores the unique life of a modern photojournalist from the perspective of a successful insider—her development; the culture of the profession, the travel, risks and sacrifices required and especially the drive required persisting. Lynsey Addario’s career has taken her to virtually all of the hotspots in the world today. She shares her experiences conveying what the work requires. “The truth is that few of us are born into this work. It is something we discover show more accidentally, something that happens gradually.” In her case, it was an early fascination with photography and world travel.
She describes a male dominated culture where the work is done in the world’s most difficult and often dangerous locales. Notwithstanding fierce competition, close relationships do develop not only with other journalists, but also with the local fixers. “A driver like Mohammed, who was tapped into a network of other drivers and rebels, helped us decide where we could go and how long we could stay. His directions often determined our fate. His contribution was invaluable.”
Gender issues are never far away in this story. Addario repeatedly experiences sexism but she is relentless in pursuing her goals. One of the strengths of her memoir is its focus on women. While recognizing that she is not immune to sexism in her work, Addario also sought to document the unique difficulties all women face living in war zones.
These places are dangerous and Addario readily admits to feelings of fear but also notes that she could adapt to them: “I became comfortable in places most people found frightening, and as I saw more of the world, my courage and curiosity grew.” A common image of the photojournalist today is the annoying paparazzi, relentlessly seeking titillating photos of celebrities, but few consider the risk and courage required of war photographers. These images are so prevalent today that we often do not consider what it takes to obtain them. The risks involved in reporting from war zones can carry considerable career cache as evidenced by the exaggerations of high profile reporters like Brian Williams and Bill O’Reilly but the risks assumed by lesser known reporters often go unnoticed and underappreciated: "When I risked my life to ultimately be censored by someone sitting in a cushy office in New York who was deciding on behalf of regular Americans what was too harsh for their eyes..., I was furious." Robert Capa once told Addario that “if your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” She reflects on this piece of advice while “(i)n Libya, if you weren’t close enough, there was nothing to photograph. And once you got close enough, you were in the line of fire.”
Addario also takes the reader up close to her personal life in this memoir. Notwithstanding being kidnapped twice, she manages to fall in love and start a family, all while holding fast to the notion that her work matters most. “Long ago I learned that it is cruel to make loved ones worry about you. I tell them only what they need to know: where I am, where I am going, and when I am coming home.” Clearly her choice of an understanding journalist as a spouse plays an important role in her successful marriage. In the lovely film “1,000 Times Good Night” Juliette Binoche plays a similarly driven photojournalist, but her personal life does suffer because of her long absences and concerns for safety.
Addario enhances her memoir with multiple insights about her work. One of her early mentors, Miguel Salgado advised her develop her skill as a photographer before seeking more prominent assignments: “Stay in Argentina, learn photography, and make all of your professional mistakes in Argentina, because if you make one mistake in New York, no one will give you a second chance.” She reflects on her role: "I became fascinated by the notion of dispelling stereotypes or misconceptions through photographs, of presenting the counter intuitive ... I learned quickly to tuck away my own political beliefs while I worked and to act as a messenger and conduit of ideas for the people I photographed." She learned how to capture unique images: "People think photography is about photographing. To me, it’s about relationships. And it’s about doing your homework and making people comfortable enough where they open their lives to you." Also never fails to recognize her subjects by asking permission to photograph them: "I was still trying to figure out how to take pictures of them without compromising their dignity ... my role was always the same: Tread lightly, be respectful, get into the story as deeply as I could without making the subject feel uncomfortable or objectified." Also, she acknowledges failure: “Even the most experienced photographers have days like this: You can’t frame a shot, catch the moment. My fear was debilitating, like a physical handicap.”
In reacting to this memoir, one marvels at how a woman so young could acquire so much knowledge and insight. With the birth of her son, Addario seems to be recognizing a greater need to strike a better balance between her career and profession. One wonders if the book would have been more effective if she had made more of an effort to be introspective. The images that accompany the book are indeed one of its strengths. These, often distressing images of terror, violence, death and violation of human rights clearly demonstrate her expertise with getting close to her subjects and her drive to make a difference by communicating through pictures. show less

Does a nice job describing the work vs personal life conflicts faced by women in "unconventional" careers. I appreciated her relaying her personal experiences as a Western woman wearing the burqa and numerous other granular details associated with her field assignments in the Middle East and Africa. Not surprisingly, her pictures are terrific too.

Whoa. Literally, just whoa. For someone who has lived a fairly sheltered life in Pennsylvania for my entire existence, it blows my mind how people can just pick up at a moment’s notice and not just go on an adventure, but go to a war-ravaged country that is most certainly on the state department’s travel advisory list. But time and time again, that’s what Lynsey does.

When I picked up It’s What I Do, I was on a biography/autobiography kick, having just finished Notorious RBG, and I show more was looking for some inspiration as I tried/am still trying to figure out what it is I want out of my life. And while I certainly want adventure, I don’t think I’m quite cut out for Lynsey’s level of adventure, but let me step back a bit.

In 2014, my sister moved to Washington D.C. right after her college graduation. When Ben and I went to visit her, we planned a little mini trip, which included a visit to an old favorite, the Library of Congress, and a new spot, the Newseum. While I never considered journalism as a career, I’ve followed Christiane Amanpour since she first was referenced on Gilmore Girls, I am a perpetual student of political science, and I am an obsessive news junkie. So needless to say, the decision to go to the Newseum was a no-brainer. While there, I learned about the numerous and life-threatening risks journalists take to bring the information they have gathered back to us. And when they travel to dangerous places, they are traveling as members of the press, but more importantly, not as soldiers or military personnel, but as civilians.

Lynsey Addario rarely hesitated when making the decision to go overseas to follow a breaking story/event. All I can say is that her story is simply amazing and I have been recommending It’s What I Do left, right and center at the bookstore. I’ve found every excuse and opportunity to display it, to share it, to talk about it – I even forced my mom into a copy and she doesn’t read anything but Baldacci and spy thrillers (though I sold it to her as a real-life spy thriller). If you are in a reading slump, or just need some motivation to get up in the morning, It’s What I Do is the book for you. show less