The silent drama of photography | Sebastião Salgado




Economics PhD Sebastião Salgado only took up photography in his 30s, but the discipline became an obsession. His years-long projects beautifully capture the human side of a global story that all too often involves death, destruction or decay. Here, he tells a deeply personal story of the craft that nearly killed him, and shows breathtaking images from his latest work, Genesis, which documents the world’s forgotten people and places.

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46 responses to “The silent drama of photography | Sebastião Salgado”

  1. Terrific photographer…terrific man !

    Not to contradict Mr. Salgado directly, but just by way of pointing out another observation…I've driven all through just about every part of the US (not just flown from city to city), and seriously – and like 99% of my country is uninhabited and in it's natural state. I understand that this is NOT the case in the greater San Francisco area, or LA or NYC or wherever. But it takes me like a day to make it across New Mexico, for instance – and except for the asphalt you're driving on you'll hardly see any signs that humans even exist.

    Yes, we can do better. But, take heart, all is not lost. Not even close…

  2. I am so happy that inspiring persons as Sebastio Salgado exists! THANK YOU so much for this talk and your stunning photography, including the wonderful documentary that Wim Wenders made. Especially in these alarmingly times, Sebastio is able to reach us all, to touch our hearts with his authentic story.
    It gives me hope that we as humans are capable to save and rebuilt our planet, that we have the power to join and inspire eachother worldwide in our deepest values of love and caring, starting positive actions now, each and every day, as in the smallest contribution of humanity can hide the biggest impact!

  3. Salgado… esse brasileiro mais que me orgulha… me inspira e deixou seu legado em minha vida, hoje enxergo melhor através de seu olhar único. Seu trabalho e sua inspiração nos prova o quanto a fotografia e a imagem, carregam vida e se transformam constantemente, de acordo com o olhar de quem a absorve, naturalmente…

  4. what is the most important, this Man not just talks about saving the planet, he also shows the results of the huge titanic work he had done. great project!
    ok, this weekend go and plant some more trees on the lawn

  5. Que bela alma essa do Sebastião Salgado. Traz um pouco mais de esperança para a humanidade. Orgulho de ter nascido na mesma terra que este grande homem.

    What a beautiful soul Sebastião Salgado is. It brings a bit more of hope to humanity. Proud of being born in the same country as this great man.

  6. Obrigado Sr. Sebastião Salgado por fazer parte da preservação da Natureza, e acreditar naquilo que lhe dá prazer que é a Fotografia, deveria haver mais pessoas como o Sr. com esse pensamento altruísta de preservação, e acreditar que o Homem pode e deve fazer melhor por este Planeta.
    Bem Haja

  7. Mubeen Mughal: salgado is an extraordinary human being whose photographs of war, famine and suffering have no doubt helped people question the destructive nature of man's thinking. He has helped many people see how we human beings have not only behaved brutally towards each other but towards animals and nature too. He has made us stop and question our behaviour to each other. His works express compassion for mankind, for nature, for animals. He is not a voyeur. You almost feel that he becomes the subject he is portraying. He is an inspiration to us all.

  8. I first watched this when starting out as a photographer. Currently, mid-way through Documentary photography course, this means so much more. I have had the pleasure of learning from someone who worked personally with Salgado early in his career. Heard some interesting back stories on this guy, he is incredible.

  9. Who are the 52 fools (not to say worse) that didn't like this?!? This is not a matter of opinion. Who don't like the message in this video must be some of the ones who are contributing kill our beautiful planet – the only one we've got!!
    Continua a espalhar a tua mensagem, Sebastião!!

  10. The Photography of , Documentation of,
    and Profiteering from Tragedy, Calamity, Victims, and Corpses:

    He is a good photographer and I like
    his work very much which I saw in magazines in the 1980's when I was
    a teenager and also an enthusiastic beginner photographer. Today, my
    outlook and world view is very different due to having read many
    books, and watched many documentaries and having a lifelong interest
    in photography and photographers. My question is: What can a
    photographer do? What can Salgado do? He clearly is passionate
    about his work, but he has become a celebrity, and a spokesperson,
    and an authority, and is influential, but the reality remains that
    the photographs which he says are “given to me” are auctioned,
    published, broadcast, and the people who are the subjects, and
    objects, and corpses have received nothing in return, and in fact,
    they are anonymous and nameless content. This whole spectacle is a
    hypocrisy, and the circus is orchestrated by The Hypocrites who call
    the shots and draw up the contracts, and give the authorizations and
    permissions and consider themselves Saints and their behaviour
    Saintly. They go to the Third World and Developing, and Least
    Developed Countries (LDC's), and Primitive Societies and those people
    end up becoming the subject of Exhibitions, Auctions, Coffee table
    Books, Talks, Debates, Fund-Raising, Non-Governmental Organizations,
    and Governmental Organizations Disbursing Public Funds. Do any of
    this do anything for the victims, and dead, and orphans, and
    devastated? Or is it all just a Spectacle? Are those people? Are
    they somebodies or anonymous nobodies?PERIOD>

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