Sebastião Salgado: The Humanitarian Photographer Who Changed the World Through His Lens

Discover the life and legacy of Sebastião Salgado, the renowned Brazilian photographer celebrated for his powerful black-and-white images that depict social injustice, migration, and nature. Explore his major projects like Workers, Migrations, Genesis, and Gold, and learn how his lens became a tool for global awareness and change.

Sebastião Salgado @ Google

Sebastião Salgado: The Humanitarian Photographer of Our Time

By Veritas Times Staff Writer

Early Life and Background

Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado Júnior was born on February 8, 1944, in Aimorés, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Initially, he pursued a career in economics, earning a master’s degree from the University of São Paulo and a Ph.D. from the University of Paris. His path changed dramatically in the early 1970s when he borrowed his wife's camera while working for the World Bank for a trip to Africa. This journey sparked a passion that led him to leave economics and dedicate himself to photography.

Workers (1993) @Google 

Photography Style and Themes

Salgado is renowned for his poignant black-and-white images that focus on humanity, labor, displacement, and nature. His subjects often include:

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• Victims of social injustice

• Migrant and displaced communities

• Industrial workers

• Remote landscapes and endangered ecosystems

His images combine documentary precision with artistic beauty, often evoking deep empathy and reflection from viewers.

Major Projects and Works

Workers (1993) – A global tribute to manual labor, this series showcases the dignity and hardship of miners, fishermen, factory workers, and others who drive the world’s economies.

Workers  @ google 

Migrations (2000) – Capturing six years of travel across more than 40 countries, this project documents the movements of people fleeing war, poverty, and globalization.

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Migrations  @ google

Genesis (2013) – A celebration of untouched nature, “Genesis” portrays remote landscapes, wildlife, and indigenous communities in places like Antarctica, the Amazon, and Africa.

Genesis @ Google

Gold (2019) – A stunning visual account of the Serra Pelada gold mine in Brazil during the 1980s. The chaotic, surreal scenes show thousands of men laboring in extreme conditions.

Gold @ Google

Awards and Recognition

Salgado has received numerous accolades, including:

1. World Press Photo Award
2. Centenary Medal from the Royal Photographic Society
3. Honorary membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has held major exhibitions at institutions like the International Center of Photography in New York and the Tate Modern in London.

Instituto Terra

In 1998, Salgado and his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, founded Instituto Terra, a non-profit organization dedicated to reforestation in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. To date, the project has planted over two million trees, turning degraded land into flourishing ecosystems.

Philosophy and Legacy

Salgado believes that photography is a powerful tool for social change. His work transcends visual storytelling—each image is a call to empathy, understanding, and action. While the digital age has transformed photography, Salgado continues to shoot on film, valuing its richness and depth.

Documentary Tribute

His life and legacy are portrayed in the award-winning documentary The Salt of the Earth (2014), directed by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. The film offers an intimate look into Salgado’s extraordinary journey and the emotional weight behind his images.