Salgado's dramatic images of our planet

At 80, the legendary Brazilian photojournalist reflects on his career, and why the natural world became his focus

- Andrei Netto 

'I photographed the world," says Sebastião Salgado, flicking through the archive in his Paris studio. Salgado, who turned 80 last week, has witnessed wars, revolutions, coups, humanitarian crises and famine. He has also seen some of the most pristine places on the planet.

His body of work, an instantly recognisable combination of black-and-white composition and dramatic lighting, covers hundreds of assignments in 130 countries and his name stands in the photojournalist pantheon alongside figures such as Robert Capa, Margaret Bourke-White and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Now, Salgado tells the Guardian, it's time to step down. "I know I won't live much longer. But I don't want to live much longer. I've lived so much and seen so many things."