Today's technology has made photography ubiquitous. Anyone with a smartphone or tablet can instantly snap a photo that is not only plastered on social media but could also be used in news stories, hung on the wall as art or even fill the pages of books.
However, there's one thing that the vast majority of people taking photos today will probably never do: make a ton of money off of their photos. It's very unlikely that any tween with a smartphone will come close to achieving the monetary success of Peter Lik's photo "Phantom," which just sold for $6.5 million.
You read that right. Lik's photo of a specter-like beam of light shining through Arizona's Antelope Canyon is now the most expensive photo ever sold. The record previously belonged to Andreas Gursky's 1999 photo "Rhein II," which sold for $4,338,500 at Christie's in 2011. Gursky also held the top spot before that transaction with his 2001 photo "99 Cent II Diptychon," which sold for $3,346,456 at Sotheby's London in 2007.
But one thing is for sure: Art critics are generally not fans of Lik's work. Most of the authors of stories covering the big sale do not look upon his mega-earnings very favorably since many people don't think the piece is that impressive. Oh well. Whatever the critics say, Lik is laughing all the way to the bank.