Adario Book Report

 “It’s What I Do” Book Report 

This term I got to read Lynsey Addario’s memoir It’s What I Do, and right away I realized this woman lives a life that is on a completely different level than most of us will ever even imagine. There were a lot of powerful moments in the book, but the part that stuck with me the most was around pages 170 to 172, where she talked about being kidnapped in Libya. The way she describes that whole experience, from the fear and the chaos and still thinking about her camera and the story. That hit me hard. I kept thinking, most people would’ve quit right then. But not her. She gets out, and she goes back to work. That moment told me exactly what kind of person she is: somebody who’s driven by purpose more than comfort, and someone who’s willing to take real risks for the truth.

One of the biggest things I took away from this book is just how different Addario’s photojournalism style is from what you normally see. A lot of photographers focus on the action aspect like the explosions, the soldiers, the stereotypical “war shots.” But Addario is almost the opposite. She zooms in on people. She notices the quiet moments, the faces, the relationships, the everyday struggles that most of the world never thinks about. She gets right up in there, close enough that you can see the pain or the fear or the strength in someone’s eyes. That takes more than skill, that requires trust. And the way she builds that trust, especially with women in places where male journalists aren’t allowed into certain spaces, is what sets her apart.

A good example is my favorite photo of hers from chapter 6: Bibiane, twenty-eight, from South Kivu, with a single tear streaking down her face. The way Addario captured the way she exhibited all that built up exhaustion, strength, and emptiness in her expression but also this deep, quiet resilience  honestly creates  one of the most powerful images I’ve ever seen. Bibiane isn’t posing. She isn’t trying to look brave or broken or anything. She’s just there, and Addario shows her humanity without exploiting her. That takes real respect, and the photo just hits you in the gut because of it.

There were definitely moments in the book where I wondered how Addario keeps going back into conflict zones. I’m not going to lie, part of me thinks you’ve gotta have a screw loose to willingly put yourself in those situations again and again. But another part of me gets it. When she says, “I must do what I do,” it makes sense. She feels a responsibility to document what the world tries to ignore. And after reading her book, I don’t think it’s about adrenaline or chasing danger. It’s about exposing the truth, photojournalism at its very core, even when the truth is uncomfortable.

A line that really stuck with me was one from chapter 9, page 192, when she wrote, “I am so shocked and dismayed at how the word of the US military has more weight than my own, when they are so blatantly worried about salvaging their reputation with these emails, and I am presenting the facts to you to bring to the public.” She said this about the NYT pulling some of her photos that she almost died acquiring just to get censored. She’s never once in her career been one to conform to the Hollywood version of war, but rather she has always delivered in exposing us to the real cost to humans. And honestly, the world needs exactly that.

As for whether I used anything from this book in my own photojournalism this term: yeah, I did. I started paying more attention to moments instead of just the big picture. Addario talks a lot about patience and waiting for the story to reveal itself, and that changed the way I approached assignments. I tried to slow down, think about the person I was photographing, and focus more on emotion instead of just getting “a good shot.” I definitely started shooting closer, and I think my photos improved because of it.

Overall, I’d absolutely recommend this book. Not just to photographers, but to anyone who wants to understand the real work behind journalism like the risks, the sacrifice, and the humanity behind the headlines. Addario’s life is intense, sometimes terrifying, but always meaningful. Reading her story doesn’t just teach you about photography; it teaches you about courage, empathy, and showing up for people even when it’s uncomfortable. :)