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Big friggin' deal. They are pictures. Nothing more , nothing less.

Why do you assume the buyer has blinders on? Because he paid an amount most of us don't have? I can think of plenty of photographs I'd like to buy...but it doesn't follow that I can't see the thing for what it is, simply because I pay a higher price than the next guy. On the other hand, a cherished family photograph IS CERTAINLY MORE than just a photograph, isn't it?

They have no "real" value because you can print as many as you want - and they are indistinguishable from the original.

I have no idea what "real value" means.....but copies made today CERTAINLY ARE DISTINGUISHABLE from the original unless you know nothing about photography, particularly the more antiquated processing and printing methods.

Idiot art people.

For all we know, the buyer might not care whether the photograph is art or not. Why is he an idiot? Because he paid a lot for something the next person couldn't care less about............welcome to a free market. This kind of buying and selling happens in other fields, not just the art world.

photography is not "art."

Out of curiosity, what IS your definition of art? Contrary to opinion, the handwringing about what is and is not art, often has no bearing on those who buy it or make it. Moreover, the photography market would continue to exist and thrive even if that nebulous word or concept vanished into thin air.

photography is not "art."

Out of curiosity, what IS your definition of art?

I'll play. "Art" is determined only by the buyer. For me, photography is not art. Motion pictures are not art. Some paintings are, some sculpture is.

Like the poster up thread who saw the paint can and brush and thought it was a display (and these days something like that could be) the best example of 'modern' art I ever saw happened by accident. A pepsi can had fallen into the waterfall between the east and west buildings of the national gallery in DC and ended up standing up against the wall on one of the falls. It looked cool. In fact it looked better than any of the 'modern' works in the gallery.

Now some people may pay millions for photos or some paintings. I look at the item they are buying and think they are insane. But it's their money.

a cherished family photograph IS CERTAINLY MORE than just a photograph, isn't it?

No, it isn't - only to you. Ain't worth crap to 99% of the population. Doesn't make it art.

CERTAINLY ARE DISTINGUISHABLE from the original unless you know nothing about photography, particularly the more antiquated processing and printing methods.

So, I reprint them using old techniques, chemicals and processes. Big Deal. It's like saying a 59 ford isn't like a 2006 prius. No kidding. But, you can still make a 59 ford that is indistinguishable from an original. And, unless you used extreme scientific methods, I'm sure a duplicate could be made that could not be differentiated with the naked eye.

welcome to a free market.

I have no trouble with the free market. There happen to be MANY idiots in the free market. I think this guy is one of them. It just so happens that there seem to be more of them in the art world - paying exorbitant amounts for crap that and 10 year old with Downs syndrome could create - and calling it "edgy".

Out of curiosity, what IS your definition of art? Contrary to opinion, the handwringing about what is and is not art, often has no bearing on those who buy it or make it. Moreover, the photography market would continue to exist and thrive even if that nebulous word or concept vanished into thin air. Good question. I spent an entire year in philosophy in college debating THAT question. And, for the most part, art is "whatever you say it is". I hand make jewelry for a living. I design a piece and make it from scratch. I do NOT consider myself an artist. Many folks call me that. I am a "craftsman" - a very skilled craftsman - but just a craftsman - not an artist. And I consider what I do to be 10x more creative than MOST photography. But, it ain't art....

And, I have no problem with photography. I have at least 60 photos hanging on display in my house. Most are of family, friends and activities - including my MArlboro photo contest winning "Wonder Falls" photo. But some are photos I've taken that others would say are quite impressive and could be considered "art". They're not. They are pictures of places I've been and seen. Nothing more, nothing less.