1 Million Dollar (US) photograph

[Longshots]

Nice to say (because bloody good luck to him) my Aussie mate who now is based in the States, has just sold his first 1 Million Dollar Photograph ! :)

I'm sure thats going to get people going - but the print only costs so much and the time it took was only so long, but hey, someone paid it and he sold it. So my hat goes off to an old friend who has managed to put a value on his work, and has had someone recognise and accept that.

Here's the story:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anonymous-art-collector-purchases-peter-liks-new-england-river-photo-one-for-1-million-113307384.html


Calling it "the best shot I have taken in my lifetime," world-renowned photographer Peter Lik has sold his first million-dollar photograph, which he calls One: a fleetingly beautiful nature shot captured on the banks of the Androscoggin River in New Hampshire. The purchase amount for this work places Lik in rare company. The buyer, a private art collector represented by Joel Ehrenkranz of the law firm Ehrenkranz & Ehrenkranz LLP, completed the purchase in December and asked to remain anonymous.

[rellik666]

Cool! I love Peter Lik's photos! Here is the picture as it wasn't on the link you posted, http://blog.peterlik.com/bid/58038/PETER-LIK-PHOTOGRAPH-ONE-SELLS-FOR-1-MILLION

It is lovely...fine line between photography and impressionist art! Lovely colours.

[dbax]

good luck to him I say.

[kiwi]

Fantastic really. Good luck ? I don't believe in luck, lots of hard work across a career and a singularly special photo

[Longshots]

Likky was kind enough to give me one of his books last year - the Big Book - wild understatement - it weighs over 40lbs/ approx 18 kilos !! - quite amazing

http://books.peterlik.com/products/peter-liks-25th-anniversary-big-book

And yes lots and lots of hard work on Likkys part :)

[dbax]

well " good luck" as in good on him, well done.

[Lance B]

That's a fantastic story and looking at his gallery I am very impressed with his work.

[Art Vandelay]

Fascinating photo.

And agreed, it's more than luck, it'd be long hard work to build his business and gain a reputation that enables his work to be put in that sort of marketplace. Besides the image itself, that's what can command those prices.

An 'unknown' who may have fluked the same image would be relegated to an obscure flickr page.

I personally can't see a million bucks worth, but hey, good on him.

[Ionica]

Also a ' good on him '. Very impressive site and photos.

[Thomp]

Wow congrats to him! Looking forward to checking out his photos when I get home

[TwinII]

Congratulations to him! I was recently up at Noosa and saw one of his galleries - he has some great photos!

[Pat Redmond]

Half his luck! I haven't ever heard of him before, but I'll look him up!

[Dan Cripps]

Good for him and great for the industry. :th3:

[ving]

now there is something to aspire to.

[Scotty72]

Looks like 'Blue Poles" to me :)

[colinbm]

Looks like 'Blue Poles" to me :)
Ditto
In the art world, they say it is worth, what the last person paid for it.
Col

[Sobriquet]

Stunning image! How wonderful to know that his work has paid off and a photograph was considered such a valuable art work.

[Namus]

now there is something to aspire to.

^^+1 to that; that's really awesome - gratz to him :th3:

[james derek]

I've been to Liks gallery in Noosa a few times. Nice photos.... bit pricy I thought. Amazed me how much he cranked up photoshop to the point where the colours are unrealistic but i guess its a style ....which obviously pays well. On one visit to his gallery an assistant did explain to me the complicated process they go through to get the larger than life colours on the prints. All very trade secret stuff i was told. I've seen big negs barrel scanned and put in photoshop and it is all too easy to overcook the file.
Well if Peter Lik can do it, I'll start cranking that sat slider over further.

[Analog6]

I can't see $1M either, but more power to him - a tog getting a high price like this for his work ultimately benefits the whole industry. It is a lovely image

[Dylan & Marianne]

Some photos are worth more than a million for the memory - it's a question of who can and is willing to afford it :P

[Gypsy]

Wow!!
I'm not really that moved by that particular image myself, I dont see a million $$ in it either.
I find some of his other work a lot more appealing. Beautiful images!
He certainly is very talented, and good on him! Certainly know's his stuff.
As others said... great for the industry too!

[Joe]

Joe
Nice shot!! No better than that it’s a great shot and one that I’d like to have my name on. But is it worth a million? In my opinion I personally don’t think so, not just this shot but any shot no matter how good or how opportunistic is not worth a million. Do we really know how much a million is? What you can do with a million? Just having a million to spend is a great responsibility and just maybe the purchaser of this photo missed in the responsibility stakes. But having said that we all have different “Bench Marks” by which we apply value and responsibility so I hope both the artist and the admirer are well pleased because that what’s it all about.

[rowdy23]

jeez..... people with money will buy anything just to say they have a one off.

cool pic though...... 1million ???? nah

[james derek]

Andreas Gursky’s “99 Cent II Diptych” is i believe the most expensive photo sold. It sold in 2007 at Sotheby's for $ 3.3 million and yes, it's just rubbish. Worse for me is the second most expensive photo sold,Edward Steichen’s “The Pond-Moonlight”. Throw a brown paper bag into a pond of dirty water, throw it at the window, blink into the sun and you get a better image than this ridiculous piece of rubbish but it sold for $2.9 million in 2006.:scrtch:

[Taxxy]

Interesting image.... I much prefer some of his other work.
Just a note, seeing as some have not heard of him, the paper he prints his work onto contains silver in it. If you ever head to one of his galaries ask the staff member to change the mood lighting and combined with the silver the colours in the painting change with different light values.

[James T]

Andreas Gursky’s “99 Cent II Diptych” is i believe the most expensive photo sold. It sold in 2007 at Sotheby's for $ 3.3 million and yes, it's just rubbish. Worse for me is the second most expensive photo sold,Edward Steichen’s “The Pond-Moonlight”. Throw a brown paper bag into a pond of dirty water, throw it at the window, blink into the sun and you get a better image than this ridiculous piece of rubbish but it sold for $2.9 million in 2006.:scrtch:

Really? I think those comments say more about you and your knowledge of photography, than the quality of those two works. :) That's not to say that I think any piece of art is worth such huge sums of money mind you.


Interesting image.... I much prefer some of his other work.
Just a note, seeing as some have not heard of him, the paper he prints his work onto contains silver in it. If you ever head to one of his galaries ask the staff member to change the mood lighting and combined with the silver the colours in the painting change with different light values.

You'll find most photographic papers contain silver, like film, it's what makes them photosensitive. I think Mr Lik sells photographs rather than paintings as well. ;)

[campdog]

Good luck to him.Someone thought it was worth it. I just spent six weeks in the US and stopped off at two of his galleries in Las Vegas.Very impressive and well worth the time to look. A salesman wanted me to buy a print from Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona.I was heading to page just after that so had an idea what to look for.I couldnt afford the print but the time spent in the shop was priceless.

[mechawombat]

Stunning pic

I can see why someone was willing to part with such a large sum of cash

[Tony G]

Wow, stunning capture and price paid for it. I like many others would not have even seen the reflection in the first place to take the shot.
It looks just like a piece displayed on a wall in a Lawyers office, designed to make you completely forget the reason you were there in the first place so they can charge you more to do nothing.

[boggo]

I better tell my better half about this and she might let me buy a new camera!

[campdog]

New Camera?. I read an interview with Peters assistant while in the US. Just the digital backs for some of his cameras cost between 40 & 60 grand. I think at that price Ill just happily spend a few hundred printing out some of my Antelope Canyon shots on metalic paper.
John

[kjeems]

amazing pic, but i can't help feel that if an unknown had have taken the shot, they may not have gotten the $1mm.. none the less well done Peter

[campdog]

One of the best Fine Art Photographers in the world with galleries over the world sells an image for one million dollars. Some unknown photogrpaher takes a shot of the same location puts in on facebook or his web page or flicka. I wonder why he doesnt get the million. The thing I like about his work is that hes not selling something that has been photoshopped beyond recognition.