My
impressions of the book is still more or less the same as when I read the
prologue and first chapter. I still appreciate how Lynsey Addario’s writing
manages to convey what it's like being in the regions she’s worked
in. I also feel that in a broad sense, her journey through life as a
photojournalist provides a lot of insight as to the do’s and don’t of breaking
into the field. One practical lesson in particular stands out in hindsight: At
first, I was confused as to why she kept talking about carrying several cameras
at once. It just seemed impractical to me at the time. But, several of my
recent photo projects have called for switching between different lenses as
quickly as possible, and eventually I realized that being able to just switch
to a second camera with a different lens would probably save a lot of time.
One
other thing I’ve admired was her efforts to humanize the people living in Pakistan
and Afghanistan. I agreed wholeheartedly with her desire to try and dispel the
stereotyping common to news media. That part of the book did also give me a slight
point of contention, however. On page 72, she wrote, “In Pakistan I learned quickly
to tuck away my own political beliefs while I worked and to act as a messenger
and conduit of ideas for the people I photographed.” Now, while I do understand
where she’s coming from there, and I do agree to a point, that line was only a
few paragraphs after the part where she wrote about Pakistani women openly
praising the 9/11 attacks. I believe my reaction was, “Basic human decency is
not a political belief.” That whole part of the book left me questioning my ability
to be objective as a journalist; Innocent people getting hurt because of someone’s
personal beliefs is kind of a big moral hot button for me; Hearing someone
PRAISE said innocent people being killed, doubly so.
Another
reason why I don’t think I’m cut out for the kind of journalism she works is
the toll it took on her social life. I always thought being a journalist would
be a great chance to see the world, learn about other people and cultures, and
all that. Did not stop and consider the difficulty it would cause when it comes
to maintaining relationships with people. Though, I’ve never had a particularly
robust social life. Not to mention that staying in touch with people is a lot
easier nowadays thanks to Facebook and Skype. Still, her difficulties with
personal intimacy DO seem like something to keep in mind. I’ll be looking out
for any ways she figures out to find a balance with her work and personal lives
later in the book.
Looking
over the photos provided in the book, I think that they were as effective as
Addario’s writing at conveying what it was like being at the time and place
each was taken. Shots of refugees, of women going about their daily lives, people celebrating; each one conveyed
its intended point without feeling fake or artificial. I think the one that
left the biggest impact with me would be the shot of a man leaning against a
wall while looking over bodies exhumed from a mass grave. The shot subtly conveys
his emotional reaction without even needing to show his face. Like most of her
pictures, I can immediately tell what’s going on in it without needing a
caption.
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