Summary
In "Of Love & War" by Lynsey Addario, the photo book comprises of explicit photographs of real-life events in underdeveloped countries. Addario demonstrates her brave and passionate characteristics of photographing moments of war, abortions, deaths, poverty, and more. Capturing moments of people who are significantly impacted by political, economic and social collapses and conflicts, Addario's work is usually done in the countries of the Middle East and Africa. One photo stood out to me, where children were playing on fallen trees during a drought in Turkana, Kenya. Analyzing and witnessing these conditions reminds us of how privileged we are compared to others, and how we take advantage of it. Another personal photo was taken of an Afghan woman’s abortion in a hospital, where she was still covered up in clothing from head to toe because of Taliban rule. I noticed that most of the images were in sharp quality and had dull colors. Addario spreads awareness of global issues that many people are not aware of, such as photos of what women face under limited freedom in Afghanistan. In addition, Addario captures moments of African women having limited resources provided for post-effects of women in labor. Graphic content of blood loss after childbirth showed how under equipped and poor the hospitals in Africa are. This shows how the government is not providing their civilians with more resources and technology in health. While she takes photos of tragic and heartbreaking moments, she also took a photo of a couple’s underground wedding celebration during wartime in Afghanistan in 2001. Photos of women mourning the death of their relative with their arms and hands crossed over their chest demonstrates strong cultural practice. I feel that there is so much more to talk about on her images, however, she really showed courage in being a voice for people in need through her work.