The most compelling thing I have learned in this book was Lyndsey's character. I believe Lynsey has the will that is really head and shoulders above the average person. Personally, I can not relate to Lynsey on the lever of dedication and will she shows. Lynsey who in this book made the ultimate sacrifice, putting herself in a extremely dangerous environment for a greater and bigger purpose. Lynsey was very aware of the power she had and how she could document what without people like her, the average citizen wouldn't be able to see. Lynsey captured powerful moments of war, famine, displacement, violence, corruption, and struggle. This is why I believe Lynsey character, and will is on another level. She is doing the work which the average person wouldn't even imagine doing. In a sense, she's on the level of actually soldiers fighting in war. Both of them experience extreme danger, and enter knowing so, but their dedication outweighs their fear.
Lynsey is an excellent photographer. The purpose of why she does what she does is to share with the world the events going on. I view her as a story teller. She's really great at giving the viewer a direct sense of whats going on in her shots, even without knowing any context. She captures a lot of raw emotion, which often time are in moments of fear and sorrow. Most times you can see a direct connect between the background, and whats going on in the photos, to just how the people are reaction. She has many examples of this in her book, whether it be young children in tears in the midst of a war torn city, to people scrammed around looking for food. Heres a photo from her website http://www.lynseyaddario.com which really shows her strength as a photographer.
While like I stated earlier that Lynsey was on a different level as far as dedication, I was actually able to learn a lot from her in this book. Lynsey had me looking at life in a different perspective when shooting. Often I would think of Lynsey and the episodes she went through as a photojournalists. Just when I thought I was scared or intimidated to get into action and shoot I would think of Lynsey. This truly pushed me because I knew that I would be alright and that my fears were so minimal. Even through her photos I was able to see just how fortunate I was as a person in this world. Even the most basic things in life such as freedom, and food which I see guaranteed for me aren't for many people in this world. Looking back on this book I learned lessons not only as for being a photojournalist and what it takes to be successful, but it taught me gratefulness which I was able to discover through her images.
Here are some of Lynseys photos I like best
All of these photos show Lynseys skill as a photographer, as well as some of the different places she's shot.
This last photo is definitely my favorite shot by Lynsey. While obviously this is an a catastrophic environment, what stands out to me are the people pictured. What I found crazy was how there was no real sense of urgency shown by these people. The girl who is up close in the photo seems to still have time to hold her doll. I could imagine that she has seen it all and as a product of the environment has grown accustom to whats going on. You can definitely see this with the men in the background as well. They seem to be just so casually strolling the streets as if nothings going on.
“Photography has shaped the way I look at the world; it has taught me to look beyond myself and capture the world outside.”
“The truth is that few of us are born into this work. It is something we discover accidentally, something that happens gradually. We get a glimpse of this unusual life and this extraordinary profession, and we want to keep doing it, no matter how exhausting, stressful, or dangerous it becomes. It is the way we make a living, but it feels more like a responsibility, or a calling. It makes us happy, because it gives us a sense of purpose. We bear witness to history, and influence policy.”
These are 2 important quotes from the book. In the first quote was very powerful because it showed me what Lynsey finds important in life. Lots of people live their life only to do what pleases them and ignoring whats going on around. Lynsey however is able to look past herself and face whats going on in the world. This shows a lot about her character to me. I think one of the biggest problems today, especially I find this relevant in the U.S is that far too many people only make decisions which are good, and benefit them, instead of looking for whats great for the community. In this second quote it kind of shows how Lynsey has gotten into the position she's in. This goes along with what I said earlier on how I believe photographers like her are on a different level because like she said, no matter how exhausting, stressful, or dangerous the work is they find a way to continue, and that is all from her will and dedication.
There is no doubt that I would recommend this book to other people. For people interested in photography or journalism, this book is a must read. There is a lot to learn in this book which goes beyond just technical skills. I think thats very important to photojournalists. Theres another side to learning how to be successful and great at what you do, which can't really be found in many other places. Even for people who have no instrest in photojournalism this is still a book I would recommend. There was a lot I could take away from this book from political to social problems. One reoccurring theme in this book which I was able to take away was gender equality and the fight for that which is much more of a struggle than I had thought. As a woman photographer Lynsey was constantly looking to prove herself in a male dominant field. This book also does not lack action and drama, so for those who like even filled readings, this book is the one for you.
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