“Isn’t that dangerous?” people usually ask when I mention my recent trip to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“Yes, though D.C. is pretty dangerous too,” I reply, usually playfully—although driving in the DRC can be rowdy even by Washington standards.

I’m a photographic coordinator for National Geographic magazine. And contrary to popular thought, and what my mother tells her friends, my role does not require much travel. Typically, you’ll find me at the headquarters in Washington supporting our photographers working in the field and our photo editors working on feature stories. Nevertheless, like many of our staffers, I have my own creative outlets. As a photographer, I occasionally pick up assignments with NGOs.

My most recent assignment in eastern DRC was to