One of the pleasures of having a quiet night at home is stumbling upon a surprising film on your streaming platform of choice. I happen to be a A%*+#n Prime member, so after perusing their offerings, I found a wonderful documentary about the photographer Sebastião Salgado. I’ve seen his work many times over the years, and have always been impressed by his artistry and his compassionate eye.

This particular film, called “Meeting Sebastião Salgado” was remarkable, not only because of the breadth and quality of the work show, but also the display of love and compassion Salgado has for his family. It is logical to see that this love extends outward towards the subject matter of his photographs as well.

There was one segment of the film that stood out the most to me, however. Salgado discusses his process for approaching a project, which often takes many years and many trips around the world to complete. But I was taken and inspired to see how the photographer uses contact sheets, test prints and enlargements all throughout his editing process. Even though he has transitioned from film to digital, he still has his assistants create “digital” contact sheets of every image he shoots. He still reviews them with a loupe and a red china marker. He has file cabinets filled with impeccably organized test prints and negatives, as well. It was a fascinating peek behind the curtain of a great artist, to say the least.

See the film here: Meeting Sebastião Salgado