After paintings, it is time to invest in photographs. Works of professional photographers in India have now been established as bankable investments.

At a recent Sotheby's auction in New York, a photograph by Dayanita Singh went down for USD 12,000. Across the continent in Paris, Anay Mann and Jeetin Sharma were among the selected Indian photographers to show their work at the Rencontres d'arles photography festival.

These are signs that works of professional Indian photographers are in demand. And the demand will soon be market driven as well. But are Indians accepting photography as a collectible art only because it is gaining global visibilty? Chairperson, OSIAN, Neville Tuli told CNBC-TV18, "There is always some connection."

Most of these photographers use everyday reality as their theme.

Photographer, Anay Mann says, "I chose to show what is close to my heart and say something about a point of view. I chose to show a generation in transition due to the economic changes etc.in the 1990s."

An average price range is anywhere between Rs 6,000 to Rs 3 lakh. And 500% increase in prices is expected in three years.

Mann adds, "It won't be so easy to buy in the future as prices will appreciate and will not be in the reach of the common man. Indian photography now is what art was 15 years ago."

With organisations like Osian, Alkazi, Tasveer and Photoink encouraging photography, it's good news for young collectors who are keen to dig into India's booming art market by buying photographs at prices that have not yet skyrocketed.

Supriya Dravid

(Picture is representative)