REIMS – A mourning ceremony was held Saturday in Reims in eastern France to honor Sebastião Salgado, the celebrated Brazilian photographer and environmentalist who died Friday at 81.

As his widow, Lélia Wanick Salgado, and their sons, Juliano and Rodrigo, attended the opening of an art exhibition featuring the work of Rodrigo, the gathering turned into a tribute to the late artist.

“There are so many things I remember about Sebastiõ,” said Salgado’s widow. ”He was a very lively person. He loved life.”

A moment of silence was observed in the packed hall, where friends, admirers and fellow artists gathered to pay tribute.

Salgado, whose powerful black-and-white photographs captured both the suffering and dignity of people across the globe, had lived in Paris for more than five decades.

He had been battling leukemia and was recently dealing with other health issues, according to his family.

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