Sebastião Salgado, the celebrated Brazilian photographer whose powerful black-and-white images captured the dignity of human labor and the fragility of the natural world, died on May 23rd, aged 81.

A photographer whose work spanned the globe and crossed boundaries between photojournalism, social commentary, and environmental advocacy, Salgado’s life and career were defined by a relentless commitment to witnessing, documenting, and ultimately seeking to transform the world around him.
Born in Aimorés, Minas Gerais, in 1944, Salgado’s path to photography was unconventional. Initially trained as an economist, he worked for the International Coffee Organization in London before discovering photography at the age of 27. This late start did not hinder his meteoric rise. By the 1980s, he was already renowned for his haunting images of the Serra Pelada gold mine in Brazil and his unflinching documentation of the human condition in places as disparate as the Sahel desert and the Rwanda genocide. His work, particularly the series “Workers” and “Exodus,” earned him global acclaim, capturing the universal struggle of laborers, migrants, and refugees.

Salgado’s early years were marked by an intense focus on human suffering and resilience, but it was his later work that would reveal his true vision for the planet. His turn toward environmentalism came in the wake of personal crises, particularly the psychological toll of photographing the human tragedies of the 1990s. He was profoundly moved by the environmental devastation he witnessed, including the destruction of the Brazilian landscape where he had grown up. This shift led to the creation of Instituto Terra, a reforestation initiative he founded with his wife, Lélia, in 1998. Together, they set out to restore the land once ravaged by deforestation, replanting the Atlantic rainforest on their family farm in Minas Gerais—a project that would serve as both a sanctuary for wildlife and a model for ecological restoration.

But it was Salgado’s work on the Amazon, captured in the recent project Amazônia, that perhaps best encapsulates his dual passion for humanity and nature. Over six years, he made 48 trips to the Amazon, living with Indigenous tribes and documenting their connection to the land that has been increasingly threatened by human encroachment. In his starkly beautiful photographs of lush forests, flowing rivers, and people living in communion with nature, Salgado showed the world a side of the Amazon that is rarely seen. His images were not of destruction or deforestation but of the living heart of the rainforest—a vibrant, pulsating ecosystem teeming with life. Through his lens, he captured not only the beauty of the natural world but also its urgent need for protection.

Salgado’s photographs, often described as “aestheticizing misery,” were never mere exercises in despair. Rather, they were calls to action—urgent reminders of the profound interconnectedness of people and the planet. He believed that photography had the power to change the world, to provoke reflection and, eventually, action. “The revolution only comes through evolution,” he said, acknowledging that his images, while deeply moving, were just the beginning of a longer, more difficult process of change.

Despite his immense fame, Salgado remained resolutely humble about his work. “I am a photographer, not an activist,” he often said, though his life proved otherwise. His commitment to environmental justice was not only captured in his photographs but embodied in his actions. He and Lélia dedicated their lives to Instituto Terra, restoring their land and educating future generations about the importance of reforestation and sustainable living.

As Salgado’s health declined in recent years, his work continued to inspire. His legacy, both artistic and environmental, will endure, serving as a testament to the transformative power of art, and to the enduring spirit of humanity’s connection to nature. Sebastião Salgado’s passing marks the end of an era in documentary photography, but his contributions to both the art world and the fight for environmental justice will live on. Through his lens, the world was reminded of its fragility—and its potential for redemption.

‘Amazônia must live on’: Photographer Sebastião Salgado returns home with his new book