Born in Aimorés in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1944, Salgado initially studied Economics. While later working as an economist in London, he travelled to Africa and began taking pictures. For over forty years during his photographic career, he has returned to Africa for many projects. He has lived and worked in Paris with his wife, since 1969. Since the nineties, the couple have been dedicated to restoring a piece of rainforest in Minas Gerais. In 1998, they managed to have the area accepted as a nature reserve, and they founded the Instituto Terra, which is dedicated to restoration and protection of nature, and environmental education. To date, 2.7 million trees have been planted.
