Forum on Lynsey Addario

In Lynsey Addario's book "It's What I Do" She has continuously put herself in countries and places that are in a middle of a war or are places that she wouldn't be comfortable in because of how there society is built. Yet she continues to document the lives of people in those countries to show what they are going through instead of what we may originally believe is going on. Between Chapters 2 and 7, Lynsey Addario explains how trying to juggle her work and her home life can be difficult. In one point she was taking less assignments to try and make her relationship with her boyfriend work. In the end she wasn't happier for it and her boyfriend was unfaithful to her. She goes on to explain how trying to keep those that she loves happy and herself can be a difficult task. What made an impression on me the most about her work in the book so far is that when she first found out about people going to the Middle east to take war photographs, her first thought was about the women; families, and people that she photographed in the past. She truly made a connection with the people she photographed instead of just taking their picture and never think about them again. What also impressed me was how she continuously engrossed herself in the culture and embraced the culture she was currently in so she can try to get not only the best photographs but a positive experience of the place she was in. A few things that Lynsey Addario does to take her photographs is shooting the pictures instead of asking to before hand and try to get to know the people she is photographing because she is photographing their story in that moment in time. She mainly uses her instincts to help her decide whether or not she will be taking the picture or not. My favorite pictures so far that she has taken is her pictures on page 133 and 121. On 121 the picture is of civilians and soldiers carrying a wounded soldier after a car bombing because it shows how graphic and yet somehow tragic war is on both sides. It's simple and yet very impactful. The same goes with the picture on page 133. It's  of a man leaning against a wall for support as he walks around remains from a mass grave. The viewer is not able to see his face but the shock and sadness or grief still comes a crossed because it shows a horrible event in a way that makes the viewer stop and look and question why this happing and how this could happen. On of my favorite lines in the book so far is on page 85, "I hated myself for being so driven. I wanted to plead with him to stay, but I needed to concentrate. I had calls to make." I love this quote because it shows how she knew would have a hard time keeping contact with those she loves. She is so driven, it causes discord in her relationships yet she continues to go on these trips and take photographs and document people because she loves doing so.