Peter Lik’s ‘Phantom’ sells for $7.8 million — the most expensive photo ever

AN Australian photographer has made history by selling this black and white print for $7.8 million — making it the most expensive photo ever sold.

AUSTRALIAN photographer Peter Lik has made history by selling his photograph, Phantom, for $A7.8 million — the most money ever paid for a photo.

The Melbourne-born photographer, who lives in the United States, can now lay claim to selling four of the world’s 20 most expensive photos.

The black-and-white landscape was taken in Arizona’s Antelope Canyon in the south-western region of the United States. Lik says he is continually drawn to the area — a canyon carved out by natural flowing water over millions of years.

News_Image_File: Spectacular spectre ... Phantom by Peter Lik.

The photograph was sold to a private collector, who also bought Lik’s masterworks Illusion for $2.9 million and Eternal Moods for $1.3 million.

“The purpose of all my photos is to capture the power of nature and convey it in a way that inspires someone to feel passionate and connected to the image,” Lik said.

He began taking photographs during his childhood in Australia, and never stopped. His career has been marked with award wins as a Master Photographer from both the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and the Professional Photographers of America (PPA).

News_Image_File: At home ... Lik at the Great Barrier Reef, in far north Queensland.