R.I.P. Sebastião Salgado

The world lost a giant last month with the passing of Sebastião Salgado in Paris at the age of 81. His work has left a profound mark on the world of photography and on me personally.

As a student photographer, I had the huge privilege of working for Network Photographers—an agency that rivalled Magnum under the guidance of the legendary Neil Burgess. The agency represented some extraordinary talent, including Sebastião Salgado himself. It was during my time there that I was given a signed print of one of his images, which now hangs in my son’s bedroom. A small reminder of what photography can be when it’s at its most powerful.

Salgado didn’t just take photographs—he told stories with a quiet intensity and visual poetry that few could match. From the gold mines of Brazil to the war-torn fields of Rwanda, from famine in the Sahel to the untouched tribes of the Amazon—his lens revealed not just suffering, but strength, dignity, and the enduring human spirit.

Trained originally as an economist, he brought to photography both intellect and compassion. His later work focused on the environment, and through projects like Genesis and Amazônia, he reminded us of what we still stand to protect.

Alongside his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, he co-founded Instituto Terra, a reforestation project that brought over two million trees back to life in his native Brazil.

Salgado’s career taught me something I’ve carried ever since: photography is as much about listening as it is about seeing. Purpose comes first. And when you understand what a photograph is meant to say, the image begins to speak for itself.

Rest in peace, Sebastião. You inspired a generation—including me.

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