Sebastião Salgado shifted from a career in economics to international photojournalism in 1973, eventually documenting humanity and nature across more than 120 countries. His black-and-white compositions, defined by dramatic lighting, captured global industrial labour and migration, before he redirected his focus toward the untouched landscapes and wildlife depicted in his extensive project, Genesis.
Economic Foundations and Professional Transition
Born in Aimorés, Brazil, in 1944, Salgado initially pursued academia. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Federal University of Espírito Santo, a master's degree from the University of São Paulo in 1968, and a PhD from the University of Paris in 1971. His early professional life involved working for the International Coffee Organization and conducting missions for the World Bank in Africa. It was during these African assignments that he began photographing, leading him to abandon economics for full-time photography in 1973.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Evolution of Photographic Practice
Salgado spent his career working with agencies including Sygma, Gamma, and Magnum Photos, which he joined in 1979. He eventually left Magnum in 1994 to establish his own agency, Amazonas Images, in Paris alongside his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado. His methodology relied on long-term, self-assigned projects published as expansive books. Key collections include The Other Americas, Sahel, Workers, and Migrations. His work at the Serra Pelada gold mine between 1986 and 1989 remains among his most cited documentation of labor conditions.
Environmentalism and Later Works
Between 2004 and 2011, Salgado shifted his focus to Genesis, a series aiming to capture natural landscapes and human communities living according to ancestral traditions. Concurrent with his photographic output, he engaged in active environmental restoration. Since the 1990s, he worked to rehabilitate Atlantic Forest land in Brazil, eventually transforming 17,000 acres into a nature reserve. He also served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador starting in 2001.
Fast facts
- Born: 8 February 1944, Aimorés
- Died: 23 May 2025, Neuilly-sur-Seine
- Photography career start: 1973
- Notable project: Genesis (2004–2011)
- Documentary focus: Serra Pelada gold mine (1986–1989)
- Professional affiliations: Magnum Photos, Amazonas Images
- Notable award: Praemium Imperiale (2021)
- Education: PhD, University of Paris (1971)
Questions readers ask
What major project did Sebastião Salgado dedicate to nature?
He produced Genesis, a series of photographs documenting wildlife, landscapes, and human communities maintaining ancestral traditions.
What happened to Salgado's professional background before photography?
He was trained as an economist, holding a master's degree from the University of São Paulo and a PhD from the University of Paris.
Where is his work represented?
His work is represented by his own agency, Amazonas Images, based in Paris.
Achievements
- Dr. Erich Salomon Prize — 1988
- Cherry Kearton Medal and Award — 2015
.jpg)
