It's very hard to turn your back once you're aware of what's going on, and you're aware of the injustices, and you're aware of the civilian casualties. It's much easier if you have no idea and you've never seen it.
Lynsey AddarioRead
As a photographer who is constantly in violent, bloody situations where the instinct is to turn away, I am always trying to figure out how to make people not turn away.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the challenge of capturing difficult truths in photography, encouraging viewers to confront uncomfortable realities.
Lynsey Addario's quote highlights the struggle photographers face when documenting harrowing events. In situations filled with violence and bloodshed, the instinctual reaction is often to look away from the harsh realities. However, Addario emphasizes her commitment to finding ways to engage the audience, urging them to confront these uncomfortable truths rather than ignoring them. This speaks to the power of visual storytelling in sparking awareness and empathy for the human condition.
Themes
PhotographyTruthAwarenessViolenceEmpathy
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a photography workshop to discuss the ethical responsibilities of photographers.
More from Lynsey Addario
All quotes βI do think my childhood is one of the fundamental reasons that I'm able to do my job. We were raised in this totally nonjudgmental family. We never knew who was going to walk in the front door. And as a journalist and a photographer, you walk into so many different scenes that you have to be open to everything.
Lynsey AddarioRead
As a Western woman in the Middle East, I am often put in a different category. I am sort of like the third sex. I am not treated like a man. I am not treated like a woman. I am just treated like a journalist. That is usually really helpful.
Lynsey AddarioRead
My strength is looking for composition and light, and I think those things come in the quieter times of war or photographing people affected on the margins of war - civilians, refugees; that is where I really excel.
Lynsey AddarioRead
Don't expect things to happen fast. Be empathetic with the people you are photographing. Don't be concerned about money.
Lynsey AddarioRead
If people really saw what was happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, then they might be marching in the streets to end wars. But you know, I think that no one ever sees because we're not allowed to see, and we're not allowed to publish what we do see. So it's quite difficult.
Lynsey AddarioRead
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