Scan barcode
A review by jorsie
It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario
5.0
It's What I Do was exactly what I wanted to read, exactly when I needed to read it. Lynsey Addario's writing style was immediate, immersive, and thoughtful. I learned so much about the geography and history of the Middle East, as well as—most importantly—what has happened in the region after the War on Terror and after American TV media outlets stopped reporting. Last year I had seen the documentary Frame by Frame that followed four Afghan photojournalists in their effort to rebuild the country's free press after the fall of the Taliban. Addario was a foreign journalist looking in. It's What I Do enhanced the knowledge that I gained from that film and provided me with a better understanding of Islamic culture.
Addario is inspirational. As an aspiring photographer, I admire her pragmatic start in the photojournalism world. I long for her ambitious solo travel to Cuba, India, and Afghanistan. I would like to find myself a Bebeto (Addario's mentor, an AP staff photographer) to teach me how to read light: "the power of the sun at a low angle in the sky just after sunrise or before sunset to illuminate the world in that golden, magical way with long, dancing shadows." Addario has a way of writing to make you feel included, like you are shooting photographs alongside her. I plan to follow her work and carry her stories with me for years to come.
Addario is inspirational. As an aspiring photographer, I admire her pragmatic start in the photojournalism world. I long for her ambitious solo travel to Cuba, India, and Afghanistan. I would like to find myself a Bebeto (Addario's mentor, an AP staff photographer) to teach me how to read light: "the power of the sun at a low angle in the sky just after sunrise or before sunset to illuminate the world in that golden, magical way with long, dancing shadows." Addario has a way of writing to make you feel included, like you are shooting photographs alongside her. I plan to follow her work and carry her stories with me for years to come.