The main ideas of Sebastian salgado.

One of the most prominent features of salgado's photo interview is that no matter what kind of subjects he faces, he insists on shooting from the humanitarian spirit. 1986, when he was interviewed in an open-pit gold mine in Palada Plateau, Brazil, he saw the most difficult and dangerous labor scene in the world: 50,000 gold diggers were crowded in a huge mine pit, and they were burdened with heavy mineral soil, climbing up and down by rickety wooden ladders, and were in danger of falling down and dying at any time. Salgado said: Although the subjects are in rags and even naked, they still have human dignity. I feel that there are too many unfairness in our world. Conscience drives me to film them to attract people's attention.

Salgado is a photographer with thoughts and beliefs. He said: photography with faith is my life rule. 1982 salgado won the American Eugene Smith Prize for his rich humanitarian spirit in the photos. 1985 and 1992 won the oskar barnack prize in the world photojournalism competition for two consecutive photo reports: Ethiopian Famine and Horror in Koveco.

Salgado believes that the production of human manual labor is disappearing at an alarming rate, and the photos of manual labor we are taking now will become historical relics from 10 to 15. So he made and implemented a plan. Since 1980s, he has traveled to every corner of the earth where there is still manual labor for photo interviews. Salgado appeared everywhere in Ukrainian steel mills, sugar cane fields in Cuba, tea gardens in Rwanda, tin mines in Bolivia, coal mines in India, gold mines in Brazil and bicycle factories in China. 1994, salgado compiled 350 works reflecting coolies' occupation that he shot all over the world in the past six years into a giant album: Laborers-Images of the Dying Industrial Age.

In interviews around the world, Sado is brave and fearless. He went to Africa 16 times not far from Wan Li in order to report the drought in Africa 10. Even if he was infected with schistosomiasis, he didn't flinch. While treating, he insisted on taking photos and interviewing.

As a member of Magnum Photo Agency, salgado's photography style is in the same strain as Bresson and others, but each has its own characteristics: the same is the pursuit of decisive moments, and once such moments are discovered, they are quickly snapped; The difference is that he thinks that most of the photos taken at a glance lack the depth they deserve, and he would rather live among the people being photographed for a period of time to make the photos more deep.

Salgado said that journalists engaged in documentary photography are journalists, not artists. Respect for reality and history is the first condition for engaging in documentary photography. He said that he never thought about artistic creation when taking pictures. If someone thinks some of his photos are artistic, that's their own business.

The camera commonly used in salgado is a black Leica. He carries at least three cameras with him, equipped with fixed-focus lenses of 28 mm, 35 mm and 60 mm respectively, to avoid wasting time by changing cameras instead of lenses during photo interviews. In the interview, salgado wore very ordinary clothes, and ordinary clothes also helped him communicate and contact with ordinary people. He didn't carry a conspicuous camera bag or a shiny silver camera case. The camera is placed in three small pockets, in order to avoid the attention and vigilance of the subject as much as possible.

Salgado doesn't reject color, but he prefers black and white. He thinks that black-and-white photos have stronger generalization power, while color movies tend to shift the audience's attention to the colorful appearance, leading to ignoring the inner essence of things. He likes to use Kodak Tri-X black and white film best. He believes that this kind of film has fine silver particles and large tolerance, which can produce rich layering in bright and dark places and can best adapt to the changes of light in different occasions.

Sebastio salgado, Ph.D. in Economics, still considers himself an amateur photographer. Although his shocking photos reveal the interest and vision of economists, what really amazes us is their great penetration into the soul and history. For a person who pursues a comfortable life, reading salgado's photos is not a pleasant enjoyment, but a shocking experience. When a feeling similar to suffering from some misfortune suddenly puts us in a dome echoing with groans of pain, we are as at a loss as Dante's visit to hell. On the other hand, photographers are touching those who are struggling in a gentle way, with the best composition and the most beautiful light.

Salgado is not a Christian. His sympathy for the victims is not to condemn a certain kind of people and make them feel ashamed, let alone to throw pity at will. When trying to communicate with all other classes about the identity of the workers at the bottom of life, his photos also implicitly express praise for those in trouble. He exposed the exploitation of poverty, but disdained to stay on the surface of preaching suffering. Because, in those hard-working workers, he saw great endurance and inviolable dignity.