"It's What I Do" by Lysney Addario Book Report

 I think the line that sums up this book the most for me is this quote from Lynsey Addario: “As ugly as the controversy was, the protagonists were beautiful.” This really captures the essence of her work. She worked in the midst of some of the most dangerous controversies of our generation, and still managed to find something beautiful within it. 

The portrait of the Taliban member leaning his face against the assault rifle (from the Talibanistan  series for the New York Times Magazine, July 2008 and featured on page 252 of the book) she photographed really exemplifies this for me. This man could have shot her and her fellow reporter if he had knows she was lying about who she was, and yet this she made his portrait look absolutely stunning.

This is also what differentiates Addario's work from that of other photojournalists. She isn’t always after the action shot, she’s after the human shot. It always looks as though she stopped and thought about how to make this person look truly human despite the circumstances. She has the ability to make look real and lovely all at once. 

I admire the work that Addario does, and I can see why she is so dedicated to it. She truly believes that the work she does can make a difference in the world. And just like anyone else who believes this – scientists, doctors, soldiers – she dedicates her time, energy, and really her whole life, no matter the cost, to fulfilling what she sees as her duty. I think people look at what she does differently than what a police officer or a soldier does because she’s not fighting or protecting, she’s documenting. But at the end of the day, it’s just another piece of that same job. And she does it very well. 

The biggest lesson I’ve taken away from this book is to look for beauty where you wouldn’t have before. I saw this most in my work at the Veterans Day Parade this year. I started by shooting just the participants in the parade, but when I stopped and looked around me I saw the real beauty of the parade lay in the smiling and excited faces of the children watching the parade. By changing my focus I was able to capture some really great shots that I may otherwise have missed. 

My favorite photo from the book is the photo of Noor Nisa in labor in Pakistan on page 274. This photo is really beautiful and stood out to me as soon as I saw it. But the thing that makes it my favorite is really the story behind it. Addario described the scene in an interview with Nikon and essentially, Noor was in labor and not able to make it to the hospital. Addario was able to provide assistance and get her to the hospital where she safely delivered the baby. It’s such an incredible thing to have happen, and it makes the photo that much more beautiful. 

Noor Nisa, eighteen (right), in labor and stranded with her mother in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan, November 2009. Photo by Lynsey Addario, from her book, "It's What I Do" pg. 274.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in photojournalism, travel or learning about what it’s like to be a woman in a male dominant field. It encapsulates all three of these areas very nicely and is a great read.