Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado dies at 81
Photographer, Humanitarian, and Environmentalist Sebastião Salgado
Terra Institute
I was sad to hear that Sebastião Salgado died today, May 23rd, 2025. I first came across his work a few years ago and it had a huge impact on me. However, Sebastião’s influence goes well beyond photography, and he used that influence to bring light to the plight of the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten peoples of his time from around the globe. He also used his influence to not just shed light on environmental destruction, but to do something about it. In 1998, Sebastião and his wife Lélia Wanick, decided to restore the forest on Sebastião’s family farm in Brazil and founded the Instituto Terra organization on the principle that “environmental restoration is also a profound act of love for humanity.”
According to the Terra Institute website, they “use the knowledge acquired through ecosystem restoration to transform the Rio Doce basin, combining agriculture with forestry, restoring springs and promoting environmental education for thousands of people.” If you’d like to support the continued work of environmental restoration and the institute, you can donate here: https://refloresta.institutoterra.org/home?form=doe.
To learn more about the life and work of Sebastião, watch the moving documentary about him: The Salt of the Earth, produced by David Rosier and Sony Pictures, or purchase any of his captivating books:
Genesis
Exodus
Africa
Amazonia
Gold
Workers
Sahel: The End of the Road
Migrations: Humanity in Transition
Kuwait: A Desert on Fire
The Children: Refugees and Migrants
Terra: Struggle of the Landless
Other Americans
and more
On the news of his death, Sebastião’s books are flying off the shelves. If you are looking for his books on sites other than Amazon, check book sellers like the following:
Or publishers like Taschen.
