Sebastiao Salgado: Tales of a humanist

Sebastiao Salgado's real strength is the extraordinary union between the content of his reports and the formal and compositional perfection of his work.

Sebastiao Salgado’s real strength is the extraordinary union between the content of his reports and the formal and compositional perfection of his work.

For over forty years, he has been investigating the most urgent social issues to understand the contemporary world. An exploration that intertwines workers’ rights, poverty, and so on, documenting how environmental, economic and political changes affect the life of people. His pictures become a means to inform, to provoke discussions, debates and feelings.

Sebastiao Salgado | Image Source: Wikipedia

Sebastiao Ribeiro Salgado was born on February 8, 1944 in Aimorés, Brazil. At 16, he moved to nearby Vitoria, where he finished high school and began university studies in economics. In 1967 he married Lélia Deluiz Wanick.

After further studies as an economist in Sao Paulo, the two moved first to Paris and then to London, working as an economist for the International Coffee Organization. There, he became interested in photography. In 1973, he returned to Paris with his wife and began to pursue a career as a photographer: working first as a freelance and then for the Sygma photo agency, documenting the revolution in Portugal, the war in Angola and the events in Monzabico.

During some trips on behalf of the World Coffee Organization, he begins to get to know Africa and to understand that to find solutions to Third World problems, one must first testify. The tool he will use to fulfill this mission will be the camera. So, in 1973, he quit his job and began a three-year journey that would take him to travel all over Africa with a new profession: photographer.

The most important thing for me is to have my cereal. I have milk and granola and cheese. And that’s it. I have a lot of cereals that I eat all day long, and I have a big appetite. All over the planet I carry my cereals!

Contrary to the typical news photographers, Salgado preferred not to run after immediate current events, but to go where nothing happens except the persistence of a situation, critical or simply peculiar. The first thing he starts with is the drought in the Sahel (Sub-Saharan Africa, near the Sahara Desert). 

After an accurate report on the drought in Africa, he decides to change direction. Talking about the situation in poor countries or countries that need help becomes his main purpose. In 1979 he also joined the Magnum Photos, the agency founded by Robert Capa.

His numerous trips to the countries of Latin America, more than fifteen until ’83, gave rise to the publication of Un’altra America, a large fresco on the ways of life and working conditions of the peasants. These images flow into his early books. In 1994, he left he Magnum Agency and together with his wife, founded the Amazonas Images agency.

In the mid-1990s, deeply touched by the crudeness of the scenes seen during the genocide in Rwanda, he decided to devote himself to an environmental project at the family hacienda in Brazil.

So many times I’ve photographed stories that show the degradation of the planet. I had one idea to go and photograph the factories that were polluting, and to see all the deposits of garbage. But, in the end, I thought the only way to give us an incentive, to bring hope, is to show the pictures of the pristine planet – to see the innocence.

At the same time, he shifts his attention as a photographer to environmental issues, and starts working on the “Genesis” project which will lead him to abandon his portraitist characteristics, and to create a colossal homage to the Planet, representing animals and landscapes not yet contaminated by the human progress.

With the end of the twentieth century, traditional and manual works quickly began to disappear, progressively supplanted by the advent of new technologies. “The hand of man” is a great tribute to the human condition and to work, which he realizes by telling this epochal passage in images.

From the gold mines of Brazil to the oil wells of the Persian Gulf, from the Channel to the Indonesian sulfur mines, he is always there, ready to immortalize drama and despair in 35 mm, but above all, the dignity of the workers.

During the 90’s, he began a seven-year journey to give life to the “On the way” and Portraits of children on the way” project, during which he will visit forty countries to witness the exodus afflicting the planet. He documented humanity on the move: not only refugees, but also immigrants to the immense megacities of the Third World.

Winner of many prizes, Sebastiao is a Special Representative of the UNICEF and honorary member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in the United States. His images of a population of derelicts deeply affect public opinion and he is considered, rightly, as one of the greatest “humanist photographers”. 

The problem is, we live in a society where all that interests us is power and money. So we don’t have any interest in our children, and what we leave for our children is not important.

More Stories

BigCASE by Viola Andrushchuk

BigCASE by Viola Andrushchuk

There is a so-called “anti-extremist legislation” in Russia, which includes a number of laws and regulations. Blurred wording of articles allow authorities to use it to suppresses the freedom of speech and to pressure on the mass media and critically-minded citizens.
Gate by Erlend Mikael Saeverud

Gate by Erlend Mikael Saeverud

Sæverud use inspiration from science fiction, surrealism, and film noir to create a world where the city streets are illuminated by the celestial glow of quasars while ominous black holes become passages to parallel worlds.
Portrait photography : Meeting with the Artist by Stefania Piccioni

Portrait photography : Meeting with the Artist by Stefania Piccioni

Portrait photography has a meaning that goes beyond the representation of a subject, it can be many things, such as the metaphor of a way of thinking.
https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bannerpr.jpg

We invite you to participate in the first edition of the Portrait Photography Awards. Our call is open to any artistic interpretation of portrait photography.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BAnImage.jpg

ImageRights provides intelligent image search and copyright enforcement services to photo agencies and professional photographers worldwide.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/mono2022.jpg

The best 100 images along with the winning images published in the yearly book “Monochromatic – Best Photographers of 2022”

Call For Entries #24 | After 23 editions and more than 100 published photographers, our print edition has proven to be a simply effective promotional channel.

Places and people; Once upon a time by HJ Hunter

Places and people; Once upon a time by HJ Hunter

'Once upon a time' shows remarkable places and people I meet by chance in cities like Liège and Charleroi. They live in the harsh reality of high levels of unemployment and social tensions between groups in a multi cultural community.
Homeless in new york by Steve Hoffman

Homeless in new york by Steve Hoffman

Working in New York City it is impossible to miss the homeless.  They are everywhere ,on the street, in doorways, and in the train stations all over the city.
Jose Laiño : Creative Still Life

Jose Laiño : Creative Still Life

This series of photographs made with these simple, everyday objects commonly around us, consists of very personal works in which the author uses humor, dreamlike, irony, poetry and visual language, creating visual metaphors
Anatomy of a photography by Hiroshi Watanabe

Anatomy of a photography by Hiroshi Watanabe

I work in the traditional darkroom and make silver gelatin prints just like old days. Prints are then toned in diluted sepia toner for archival purpose and split-tone-like tonality.
The reticule by Xenia Fedorova

The reticule by Xenia Fedorova

My grandmother Antonina had passed away a long time before I was born. Mom has kept her leather reticule with all its contents. I wanted to write a letter to my grandmother, to share with her what happened in the life of her relatives after her belongings sunk into oblivion at the bottom of the bag.
New York; Central Park by Roman Kruglov

New York; Central Park by Roman Kruglov

I feel like I have travelled elsewhere every time I visit Central Park, somewhere not in New York and yet it has the essence of New York. Autumn is my favorite time to go there, maybe it has something to do with my birthday being in October or maybe because it is so beautiful, the air is clear and the nature is full of colors.
I´m the street by Omri Shomer

I´m the street by Omri Shomer

I've thought about it more than once, where does my urge to go out and take pictures in the street comes from. After all, it is not a natural thing to go out and photograph strangers.For seven years now I worked as a copywriter for advertising companies, responsible for ideas, new stories.
Natura Mortale by Ilva Beretta

Natura Mortale by Ilva Beretta

According to Amnesty International, torture is practiced in 141 countries, both openly and in secret. Many of these countries have signed the UN convention against torture, but it still goes on.
Migrant Tomatoes by Francesco Amorosino

Migrant Tomatoes by Francesco Amorosino

These are the subjects of the series Migrant Tomatoes by Italian photographer Francesco Amorosino, who won the Sony World Photography Award this year in still life category.
Kenya: harmony, balance, determination, courage and struggle by Elena Molina

Kenya: harmony, balance, determination, courage and struggle by Elena Molina

In the African savannah, land of the Maasai people, I felt the beating of the heart of the Earth accompanied by the harmonious balance of nature.
Siggi’s World by Frédérick Carnet

Siggi’s World by Frédérick Carnet

Siggi is a strange person who can’t let you staying stoical. The day after my arrival in Iceland, at Grindavìk campsite, I meet Jeff, a Quebecer.
The Wordless Memorials by Yulong Zhou

The Wordless Memorials by Yulong Zhou

You will find that in today's China, everyone is looking for a kind of existence, their own existence, and a way of being compatible with the world in this fragmentation and powerlessness.
Finding my way by MG Vander Elst

Finding my way by MG Vander Elst

At the onset of the Pandemic, I lost my mother; I had just flown back from being with her and I would not be able to return to pay my last respects. Simultaneously, my eldest son was preparing to leave for college, and the comfort of our daily routines, established for years were about to end abruptly.
Chatting with Dagmar Van Weeghel

Chatting with Dagmar Van Weeghel

Dagmar Van Weeghel - Photographer, filmmaker, philanthropist, loves nature & conservation, based in the Netherlands Studied film & photography in Amsterdam at Netherlands Film Academy, graduating in 1998. Currently at the Amsterdam Photo Academy.
Chatting with Adrien Tache

Chatting with Adrien Tache

When I was much younger, I came across the famous picture of Nick Ut, a Vietnamese war photographer, which left a mark on me.
Lotus by Margaux

Lotus by Margaux

The perspective of discovering new countries and cultures was the main aspiration of this project. Drawn to capture black and white landscapes, it inspired me to communicate the dependent and integral relationship humans have with nature. 

Featured Stories

Ordinary days is beautiful  by Takako Fukaya

Ordinary days is beautiful by Takako Fukaya

Takako Fukaya has three daughters. They are so special to her. Also she thinks “Children” like them is a hope and a future in this world.
Old Father themes by Julia Fullerton Batten

Old Father themes by Julia Fullerton Batten

The River Thames is not even the longest river in the British Isles and a mere pygmy in comparison with many other rivers in the world, yet its significance to British and world history is immense.
Iceland by Ignacio Heras Castan

Iceland by Ignacio Heras Castan

The script of this sequence tries to convey the isolated way of life of many of the inhabitants of the Island, the different structures of houses, ships, churches that mix with the nature so characteristic of Iceland
Wildlife photography; Land of Giants by Will Burrard-Lucas

Wildlife photography; Land of Giants by Will Burrard-Lucas

These photographs are part of a larger series documenting the elephants of Tsavo and the work of Tsavo Trust. The full series is published in a new book titled “Land of Giants”.
Heroes by Erberto Zani

Heroes by Erberto Zani

Acid attack survivors in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh most of the people called them “monsters” or, sometimes, “victims”. But they prefer to be considered “survivors”. For me are heroes.
The Nenets by Sara Bianchi

The Nenets by Sara Bianchi

The Nenets are an ethnic minority with fewer than 50.000 people dedicated to reindeer breeding. They live in Yamal peninsula, Siberia. Yamal in the language of the indigenous means "the end of the world"
Lov’yer by Marta Kochanek

Lov’yer by Marta Kochanek

The world witnesses love between people of all nationalities and races. This planet gives room to those attracted to people of the same, opposite and both genders. It is how this world is constructed. It is how it always was.
Protest in Brooklyn; Blessed to breathe by Bill Livingston

Protest in Brooklyn; Blessed to breathe by Bill Livingston

When George Floyd’s life was unnecessarily and brutally snuffed out by Minneapolis law enforcement on May 25, it was yet another final straw…and that straw was set ablaze around the globe.
Kabuki players by Hiroshi Watanabe

Kabuki players by Hiroshi Watanabe

Those Kabuki players seen in the photographs are not with the mainstream Kabuki companies in Tokyo. They are with localized small groups located in various parts of Japan.
The ordinary by Lotta Lemetti

The ordinary by Lotta Lemetti

For me creating still life compositions is a form of self-exploration. The creating process is an intriguing and almost devotional journey through my mind. Through predilections in aesthetic decisions such as subject matter, color and composition the work reflects who I am, where I come from and what I have experienced.
Favelas: the rhythm of change by Albertina d’Urso

Favelas: the rhythm of change by Albertina d’Urso

The favelas of Rio de Janeiro are mostly known for violence and drug trafficking. But, also if those problems still exist, life for most of the inhabitants has nothing to do with that. Favelas are becoming safer and better organized.
Nice Nosing You by Elke Vogelsang

Nice Nosing You by Elke Vogelsang

Born in 1972 Elke Vogelsang turned her professional life upside down later in life to leave a smoothly running and profitable but dull job as a translator to pursue what she loves - photography.
Mobile Photography by Star Rush

Mobile Photography by Star Rush

Star Rush is a Vietnamese American documentary and street photographer and writer, and an an advocate of mobile photography.
Curious Devices by Jeanette May

Curious Devices by Jeanette May

Curious Devices project was selected and published in our print edition 23. Jeanette May’s still lifes reveal our complicated relationship with obsolete technology by juxtaposing the seductive designs and the inner workings of Curious Devices. Her photographs display a reverence for finely crafted merchandise, industrial design, and scientific wonders.
Self Portraits by Isabella Bubola

Self Portraits by Isabella Bubola

For Isabella Bubola, a 25 year old applied arts graduate, true passion lies in fine art and portrait photography. She began shooting whatever was around her (including herself) when she was eleven and got her first digital camera without the back screen. Ever since, her camera has been a most faithful companion.
Petricor by Joaquin Bas Ros

Petricor by Joaquin Bas Ros

The 20 photographs that compose this portfolio are part of those included in Petricor, a photobook that aims to be a mirror of what is sadly beginning to be known as "Empty Spain".

Trending Stories

Marcin Chajrewicz; inspirational photography

Marcin Chajrewicz; inspirational photography

My name is Marcin Chajrewicz, though for many I am well known as "Kolgrim". For years I've been living in London, but I am Polish and I was born in Biala Podlaska (east of Poland) where I went to school
Cairo; A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect by Jonathan Jasberg

Cairo; A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect by Jonathan Jasberg

The project title for his work on Cairo is inspired by an ancient Egyptian proverb that states ‘A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect'. 
Neva. River for people, people for river by Ekaterina Vasilyeva

Neva. River for people, people for river by Ekaterina Vasilyeva

The pictures explore the themes of relationship between the people and Neva River. On the one hand the attitude of people to the Neva River with each year becomes more and more aggressive and consuming.
Everybody Counts by Erlend Mikael Saeverud

Everybody Counts by Erlend Mikael Saeverud

Erlend wanted to ask him for a portrait, but he didn't dare. This became the inspiration for this project.
The Anonymous Man by Lisa Saad

The Anonymous Man by Lisa Saad

This series of images is based around the idea of a dreamscape. Each image represented itself to me in a flash, as a fleeting moment in full realisation or as a tone of color.
Self-portraits; I’m not here by Lise Johansson

Self-portraits; I’m not here by Lise Johansson

I’m not here is a series of self-portraits photographed in an abandoned hospital. The project is a reflection on mental illness and about identity in a state of transition. 

In The Land Of The Northern Lights

In The Land Of The Northern Lights

It is a video of the Northern Lights created using stills (stop motion). All sequences are shot in or close to Tromsø in Northern Norway.
Losing our minds by Eddy Verloes

Losing our minds by Eddy Verloes

I want this poetic-philosophical reflection to speak through my images in these corona times. In my series “Losing our minds” I consciously show only young people who are looking for themselves, for the meaning of life and the relationship between man and nature.
A Place Called Manly, a Place Called Home by Thomas James Parrish

A Place Called Manly, a Place Called Home by Thomas James Parrish

After three years in London - a year of which was spent confined within my East London share house as the pandemic ran its relentless course - I decided it was time to come home.
Waterscape by Hengki Koentjoro

Waterscape by Hengki Koentjoro

Captured in its various countenances, water poses in these series as an enchanting backdrop to the centre stage figures. It roars through the gaps among a group of stoical rocks and it dances around a water temple creating a mystical mist.
Surfacing by Philip LePage

Surfacing by Philip LePage

Some pain can’t be shared, some truths can’t be acknowledged. In his artists statement Philip LePage states: “25 years ago I woke up in a hospital with no memory of how I had gotten there. A Certain Distance is an ongoing series of images exploring the things I haven’t been able to say to anyone.
Tibula- A flamenco women by Armand Urbaniak

Tibula- A flamenco women by Armand Urbaniak

Sixty year old flamenco dancer with energy of a savage, but self-conscious young girl. She teaches dance in Jerez de la Frontera. Together with musicians plays, sings and dances for public under the eye of a mysterious master.

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.