[drcy]

I used to collected modern art and magazine photographs (1980 to 2000s) so was generally familiar with the brands and have a large archive of photos to refer to. Specifically, I know which branding was recent and wouldn't appear on a 1975 or 1985 photo.

Some helpful hints for modern photographs include other stamping (photographer's stamp, newspaper, etc), provenance (came from a magazine's archive, for from photographer's estate). I've bought photographs directly from famous photographers. Almost all polaroids are vintage originals, as Polaroids are designed to be developed in the camera on the spot. Many original snapshots have the date they were developed on them. Modern news photos will have the usual news stampings or text (UPI, AP, Movie studio etc). If you buy art photographs, the artist will often sign and date it on the photo-- tell when it was shot and the photo developed. Some photographers will include COAs with the photo. Also, if an art photograph was made by a famous photographer but printed later (and with his stamp, signature, COA whatever) it will still have value on the market.

Some modern art photographers make photos from scarce processes (platinum prints, cibachrome, dye-transfer), and the scarce process will establish it was made by a professional. So if you know how to identify modern processes, that is helpful in authenticating and valuing. The modern cibachrome color process is my favorite process, modern or vintage. The images are ultra, ultra glossy and have a glowing three dimensional quality-- as if the surface is the surface of a pool of water. Cibachromes are expensive to make, only professionals make them, and they're easy to identify as the images are far glossier than other photo. Dye tranfers, another modern color process but with a matte image finish, were only used for high end art photographs are for displays, such as museums.

My photography books lists most of the modern processes and how to identify them. It's really not that hard, you just have to know what to look for.

And, as I said, Polaroid is a modern process (invented in 1963) that is almost self authenticating, because they're developed in the camera seconds after the image is shot.

I think modern photography is an interesting area to collect, and you can collect both modern and vintage sports (or non sport) photos.