These Are The Most Expensive Photographs That Have Ever Been Auctioned

Many of us have turned into budding photographers in recent years. After all, with some of the best cameras that have ever hit the market being in our pockets at all times, it can be tempting to get to know how to take the best pictures to make the most of them. Whether it's getting a shot for social media or one to show our family, there are so many reasons to get snapping.

What about when you take a photo that's so good everyone in the world wants one in their collection? That's been the case for some photographers and has led to the most expensive photographs that have ever been auctioned.

Spiritual America might be one of the most controversial expensive photos

Believe it or not, but one of the most controversial pictures of all time also went on to become one of the most expensive photographs that have ever sold at auction. The reason it's got so many people talking? That's because of the subject. Brooke Shields was just ten years old when she posed in her birthday suit for Richard Prince. The image hit the world in 1981 and was even banned from the Tate Modern in London. Eventually, the piece was sold in New York in May 2014 for a staggering $3,973,000. 

Untitled #96 is meant to be the opposite of gentlemen's magazine centerfolds

It might be Untitled #96, but Cindy Sherman created a one-of-a-kind photo in 1981 that got the world talking. She is used to selling all kinds of images, including this one that earned Cindy a whopping $3,890,500 at a New York auction in May 2011. Apparently, the photograph was inspired by the centerfold pictures we usually see in gentlemen's magazines. The image is meant to show the opposite of women traditionally seen in the magazines, showing vulnerability, abuse, and assault. It wasn't long before it became known as one of the most expensive photographs that have ever been auctioned as a result.

Rhein II is a simple yet expensive photo

Want to know what $4,338,500 will buy you? If you're in the right place at the right time, you could get your hands on Rhein II. It was once the most expensive photo sold at auction of all time when it was sold in 2011. That was until 2014, when the record was broken. Still, many were willing to pay anything for Andreas Gursky's snap of the Lower Rhine. The photographer used digital editing in 1999 to remove a factory building and dog walkers, leaving nothing but green fields, the river, and a gray sky. 

Phantom is believed to be the most expensive photo sold at auction

It's believed that Phantom might be the current most expensive photograph sold at auction, fetching an impressive $6.5 million. No one knows who bought the photo, as the buyer allegedly wanted to remain "secret and anonymous." All we know is that Peter Lik is the one behind the black-and-white snap of Antelope Canyon found in Arizona. Whatever the case, removing the color from the picture almost makes this image look like it's from an alien planet instead of somewhere on Earth.

When it comes to some of the most expensive photographs that have ever been auctioned, it seems some people are willing to pay anything to get their hands on the next best piece of art. Sometimes, it comes at the cost of millions of dollars.