Sebastião Salgado honored at Sony World Photography Awards
Photographer Sebastião Salgado is honored at the Sony World Photography Awards for his photographic achievements documenting everything from indigenous peoples to magnificent natural landscapes.
Camera & Image is on location in London to participate in the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 - the 17th in order. This year, over 300,000 entries have been submitted, with photographers from over 200 participating countries. Tonight, the awards will be announced.
The Brazil-born Sebastião Salgado was also present in London during the press conference before the Sony World Photography Awards, where he was honored for his photographic achievements with the title for his contribution to photography - 'Outstanding Contribution to Photography'.
From Sebastião Salgado's exhibition at Somerset House.Calle Rosenqvist
From Sebastião Salgado's exhibition at Somerset House.Calle Rosenqvist
Through the award. He joins a list of iconic photographers such as William Klein (2012), Elliott Erwitt (2015), and Martin Parr (2017).
- I am honored to receive this award and to know that my work reaches the audience. Photography is my way of living, it's my language, and throughout my career, I have always been interested in capturing the historical moments we live in, and telling the stories of our species and our planet. A photographer shoots with his heritage, and in my work, I try to explore our common human experience, says Sebastião Salgado about receiving the award.
During the press conference, Salgado spoke about his work process, what photography means to him, and how photojournalists can make a difference through their images. His own pictures have become widely known for their characteristic black-and-white printing and handling of darkness and contrast.
Galápagos, Ecuador, 2004. Like other ectothermic reptiles, the marine iguana must regulate its own body temperature: as soon as the sun rises, it lies flat and warms as much body surface as possible until the temperature reaches 35.5 degrees.Photo: Sebastião Salgado
For the Swedish audience, Sebastião Salgado's images have been on display at Fotografiska on several occasions, such as in 2014 when the exhibition "Genesis" was shown. The images consisted of magnificent natural landscapes and were, according to Salgado, a love letter to our planet. In 2019, it was time again when the exhibition "Gold" was shown, with pictures taken in the Serra Pelada gold mine in Brazil.
Sebastião Salgado was born in Brazil and trained as an economist, which he worked as for a few years before deciding to become a photographer. He has become especially known for his humanitarian documentary images of workers and immigrants. But nature is also a recurring theme in his images, which are always in black and white. In his homeland, he has also engaged, together with his wife - Lélia Wanick Salgado who often curates his exhibitions - in replanting part of the rainforest that has disappeared.
Draped in blankets to keep the cold morning wind away, refugees wait outside the Korem camp. Ethiopia, 1984.Photo: Sebastião Salgado
His images are displayed to the public at Somerset House in London from April 19 to May 6, 2024. Kamera & Bild, as media and participants in SWPA 2024, had the opportunity to view the exhibition before the official opening.
The winners of the 2024 edition of the competition will be announced on the evening of April 18.
