# How much would you pay for this photograph? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177 "2011-11-16T22:54:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/1 "2011-11-16T22:54:48Z")
Actually, I like it quite a bit. I would offer a bit less than what it sold for, however. mmm [Photo](http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/nov/11/andreas-gursky-rhine-ii-photograph) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/2 "2011-11-16T22:57:15Z")
[David Tennant] Whot? _Whot?_ _Whot?!?!_ [/David Tennant] ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/3 "2011-11-16T23:22:27Z")
I actually do like Gursky and have a book of his work at home, but at that point you’re really just paying for the name and collectibility. (Obviously.) I wouldn’t buy that particular photography, but his work 99 Cent II, I might pay up to, oh, around $10K for. Of course, that’s about $3.35 million less than it actually sold for. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/4 "2011-11-16T23:24:28Z")
Why would I pay anything for it? I already have it right here on my computer. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/5 "2011-11-16T23:27:37Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Why would I pay anything for it? I already have it right here on my computer. I’ve always wanted to get a signed print of that hill scene that came as the default background with XP installations. I don’t know who took it, and I assume it’s just some kind of stock photo, but that’s got to be one of the most looked-at photos in the world. Oh, holy cow, don’t know why I never searched it before. [Here’s the story and the photographer](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060695/Microsoft-XP-background-How-California-view-planets-viewed-vista.html). ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/6 "2011-11-16T23:39:22Z")
I like it, but it’s not that profound. Most of the price is attached to the name. And it’s been photoshopped past the point where I’d still consider it a photograph. It’s more of a photo illustration. How do you sell a print as museum piece anyway? Do you promise never to make another one? It’s not as unique as a painting or sculpture since you can just produce infinite perfect copies from the negative or hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/7 "2011-11-16T23:39:25Z")
“It says a lot using the most minimal means … for me it is an allegorical picture about the meaning of life and how things are.” Okaaaaaay… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/8 "2011-11-16T23:43:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > “for me it is an allegorical picture about the meaning of life and how things are.” Mostly fake but nothing a bunch of cash can’t make better. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/9 "2011-11-16T23:45:05Z")
From **pulykamell** ’s link, “How a sun-kissed California view became the most recognisable **vista** on the planet.” (bolding mine) I see what he did there. 😉 (Yes, I know it was XP and not Vista.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/10 "2011-11-16T23:46:17Z")
I wouldn’t have given them a dime more than $3.7 million for it. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/11 "2011-11-16T23:47:25Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve always wanted to get a signed print of that hill scene that came as the default background with XP installations. I don’t know who took it, and I assume it’s just some kind of stock photo, but that’s got to be one of the most looked-at photos in the world. > > Oh, holy cow, don’t know why I never searched it before. [Here’s the story and the photographer](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060695/Microsoft-XP-background-How-California-view-planets-viewed-vista.html). This is the kind of useless information I want filling my brain. I’m being serious. I love the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/12 "2011-11-16T23:48:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve always wanted to get a signed print of that hill scene that came as the default background with XP installations. I don’t know who took it, and I assume it’s just some kind of stock photo, but that’s got to be one of the most looked-at photos in the world. > > Oh, holy cow, don’t know why I never searched it before. [Here’s the story and the photographer](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060695/Microsoft-XP-background-How-California-view-planets-viewed-vista.html). That says (exact quote) > [@](#): > > Mr O’Rear’s shot purchased for an undisclosed sun by Microsoft Admittedly that’s going to be of incredible value once interstellar travel is feasible, but even then I hope he at least held out for one in this part of the galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/13 "2011-11-16T23:51:38Z")
That just proves it: rich folk sure are stupid. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/14 "2011-11-16T23:52:58Z")
This is really not the type of art that 99-precenters are capable of understanding. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/15 "2011-11-16T23:56:20Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > “It says a lot using the most minimal means … for me it is an allegorical picture about the meaning of life and how things are.” > > Okaaaaaay… Wow. He’s not even trying! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/16 "2011-11-17T00:00:21Z")
The only reason I’d take it off your hands is to sell it. Like Jack says, it’s not even a photo any more, really. _I’ve_ done digital paintings like that - from scratch, not just modifying an existing picture - but I’m not some big name photographer that people fawn over. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/17 "2011-11-17T00:00:52Z")
I wish he would have just said, “What is it? It’s a picture of the Rhine and I took some distracting shit out.What’s it mean? It means the Rhine on a cloudy day is pretty fucking mundane.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/18 "2011-11-17T00:48:47Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > “It says a lot using the most minimal means … for me it is an allegorical picture about the meaning of life and how things are.” > > Okaaaaaay… To me it looks like somebody’s vacation photo. One that was snapped accidentally. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/19 "2011-11-17T01:00:13Z")
I’d pay $4.3 million for every square inch of land IN that picture. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177/20 "2011-11-17T01:15:46Z")
Obviously the money was for the name, though I like 99 Cent II much better. One thing that the computer screen can’t provide is the impact of size for some of these type of pieces. Seeing a photo as a 3x5" isn’t really the same as seeing it covering a good portion of a large wall. What seems mundane while small can carry much more impact when seen at its intended dimensions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-pay-for-this-photograph/603177.md?page=2)