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davidcyclebackTwo of my specialties are photographs and prints by famous artists.
There are forgered and tricked photographs, but most problems are misidentifications-- ala mistaking a reprint for an original, misdating, etc.
In fine are prints (ala Renoir etching, Chagal lithograph), there are lots of forgeries. Luckily, as an area of academic interest, lots have been written about the works of famous artists. A collector can find good books to help them in determining what is considered genuine and what is not. If a collector is considering buying a Salvador Dali print, he can look it up in a book to make sure that its considered a genuine Dali and that the physical details are in alignment (size, numbering, watermark, etc). Most forged Dalis aren't reprints or counterfeits, but fantasy items-- meaning Dali never created the image design. They are on the the order of a a 1956 Bowman Mickey Mantle-- if a beginner refers to his trusty Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, he can see that there is no 1956 Bowman set. And a beginning art collector can refer to the Dali catalog reasonne (as the catalog of of an artist's work is called) and see that the fantasy Dali isn't listed. The collector will want to deal with reputable sellers, check provenance, get outside opinions and take care, but using the catalogues raisonne can make even the beginner more confident in what they are doing. These are the same books that Sotheby's, Christies and the Louvre refer to. As many catalogues raisonne picture all of an artist's work in full color and in chronological order, the books can work as coffee table books. Non-collectors and art enthusiasts can enjoy them.