“After 8 years of traveling the planet, capturing the natural world in its most pristine state…I discovered that a huge part of the planet is yet as the day of the beginning…what I wished to show was the planet in total equilibrium…us in equilibrium with our nature…I worked with the Nenets in the north of Siberia…all that a family has is minimum…there I discovered the sense of essential…to survive, and to survive well, to be happy, to love our child, to love our wife, to be close with nature, you don’t need all this.  I don’t know if I succeed with these pictures, but my wish is to do a homage to the planet…a portrait of the planet.”

See more of Sebastião Salgado’s amazing black and white photos at this link.

Sebastião Salgado, 69,  is a Brazilian social documentary photographer and photojournalist.  Salgado initially trained as an economist and switched to photography in 1973.  He is particularly noted for his social documentary photography of workers in less developed nations.  He has traveled in over 100 countries for his photographic projects. Salgado has been awarded numerous major photographic prizes in recognition of his accomplishments and a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography. (Source: Wiki)

Thank you Joan Walters @ Canadian Art Junkie for pointing me to this video and to Sebastião Salgado.