It's What I Do: A Photographers Life of Love and War Book Report.

The book “It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War” by Lynsey Addario is a memoir that details not only her time across the sea in the middle east following 9/11, but also discusses many aspects about how Lynsey Addario makes a name for herself in the male dominated field of photography. One aspect specifically about this book that will stand out to anyone reading it is the treatment of women in these middle east countries, and the uphill battle Addario had as a female photographer in these countries. One example that is even given to readers by Addario is how she had to pretend to be married to a man in order to gain access and photograph the Taliban. This not only stands out because of the methods she had to go through to get certain photos, but also really displays one big signature of Addario. This signature is the coverage of both sides of this war in the middle east. Addario not only spent time in the dangerous vicinity of the Taliban, but also spent much time with American soldiers as well. Her signature really is this sense of needing to cover both sides of the war no matter the danger she is faced with. 

Now would I ever put my life on the line to get photos of a story in a war zone? Hell no I wouldn’t put my life on the line for these stories. However, I don’t think that Lynsey Addario is out of her mind at all. Overall she has a very strong photojournalism drive to cover these active war zones. This drive is especially shown throughout the fact that she continued to cover the war despite being in multiple instances that her life was put in danger. Lynsey Addario was even kidnapped at one point while in the middle east, but not even that experience caused her to stop taking photos. 

I’m very happy that Lynsey Addario never got discouraged because this resilient nature of hers allowed her to take some really great and compelling photos during this time of her life. The most compelling photo she took in my opinion was a photo of two American soldiers I placed right below here.

 

Pg. 183

Personally, I really like this photo because in my opinion I think it perfectly captures a very intimate moment between an American soldier providing aid to a wounded American Soldier. If I’m speaking the truth it's hard to quantify why this photo affected me so much, but in the end it’s my favorite because I feel like I can feel the emotion coming from this photo. After reading the rest of this book and really thinking about the stories, quotes, and different photos provided by Lynsey Addario, I think I have really gained a new perspective on photojournalism and what the core of photojournalism is about. With that said, my favorite quote has stayed the same throughout the entirety of the book. My favorite quote in the book is “Do what makes you happy, and you will be successful in life.” Personally, I really think this quote resonated with me because of how Linsey Addario's life turned out. She is a very dedicated person to photography that at some points almost feel like it consumes her life, but despite that she made a life for herself not only in the photography world but also in her personal life. She actually met her husband in the middle east, and I think the stories we see in the book are a perfect example of how if you follow your passions then everything will work out in your life.

Overall, would I recommend this book to anyone as a good read? Personally, It depends on what the context it would be read under. I think this because I think it's a great book for people pursuing a career in photojournalism, but personally I don’t think this book is for everyone. First off there are many graphic stories and images in the book which people may not be okay with. I would recommend this book to anyone pursuing or currently in the photography realm, but I would not recommend it for anyone outside of that sphere, due to the graphic content and lack of beneficially information for many not connected to photography.