• Sebastião Salgado, acclaimed Brazilian photographer, has died at the age of 81.
• His death was announced by Instituto Terra, the environmental organization he co-founded.
• Salgado's images depicted the human condition and environmental issues across 130 countries.
• He contracted malaria in 2010, which later developed into leukemia and contributed to his death.
• The photographer was known for his powerful black-and-white photography capturing social injustices.

Sebastião Salgado, a celebrated Brazilian photographer, has passed away at the age of 81, as confirmed by Instituto Terra, an environmental nonprofit organization he founded with his wife Lélia Wanick Salgado. The cause of death was reported as leukemia, which developed after Salgado contracted malaria in 2010 while working on his Genesis project in Indonesia. His family remarked, "Through the lens of his camera, Sebastião tirelessly fought for a more just, humane, and ecological world," underscoring his commitment to social and environmental causes, according to Los Angeles Times, BBC, and South China Morning Post.

Salgado was renowned for his dramatic black-and-white images capturing heavy themes such as famine, conflict, and environmental disasters across 130 countries over a span of 55 years. His impactful works often revealed the stark contrasts of humanity and the natural world, including significant projects like the photo essays on famine in Ethiopia and the plight of workers in the Amazon. Critics debated his aesthetic approach, with some suggesting he beautified suffering, yet Salgado maintained that a dignified portrayal of people is essential, as noted in statements from India Times and New York Times.

Born on February 8, 1944, in Aimorés, Brazil, Salgado's early career in economics transitioned into photography in the early 1970s, particularly influenced by his experiences working for the World Bank. He fled to France during Brazil's military dictatorship and began devoting himself fully to photography, which became not only his profession but a profound means of advocating for social justice. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid tribute to Salgado's legacy, emphasizing his moral integrity and commitment to his work, as referenced by Le Monde and The Jakarta Post.

Salgado's inspirational approach to photography serves as a reminder of the profound responsibility and privilege photographers have in portraying human realities. Throughout his career, he won numerous awards, including the Leica Oskar Barnack Award and multiple World Press Photo accolades. His works continue to resonate deeply, both as art and as urgent calls for understanding and action regarding numerous global issues, according to India Times and Los Angeles Times.