As with fine art, buying and collecting photography is quite the undertaking. Avid collectors dedicate a lot of time and money into curating their personal collections.

For example, when these captivating photographs hit the auction block, they each fetched millions of dollars. These are the five most expensive photographs ever sold:

5. Dead Troops Talk (1992) by Jeff Wall

Sold for $3.67 million in 2012 at a Christie's New York auction.

4. To Her Majesty (1973) by Gilbert & George

Sold for $3.77 million in 2008 at a Christie's London auction.

3. Untitled #96 (1981) by Cindy Sherman

Sold for $3.89 million in 2011 at a Christie's New York auction.

2. Spiritual America (1981) by Richard Prince

Sold for $3.97 million in 2014 at a Christie's New York auction.

1. Rhein II (1999) by Andreas Gursky

Sold for $4.34 million in 2011 at a Christie's New York auction. Find out more about the work and its astounding sale here.