ABOUT US
For more than 25 years, I have been a passionate collector and active participant in the collectibles hobby. Although my interests throughout the years have included many collecting genres, photography has always held a special place for me.
My appreciation for collectible photography took on a new dimension in 2005, when I had the privilege of working alongside two hobby legends—and friends—Marshall Fogel, Henry Yee and a future one in Khyber Oser. We worked together to develop and publish Portrait of Baseball Photography, a project that established a framework for understanding, identifying, and classifying collectible photographs. Through this work the photographic Type System was born. A classification methodology that has since become widely accepted as an industry standard.
That experience deepened my appreciation for photographic authenticity, the history of original photographic prints, and the importance of providing collectors with reliable information when making purchasing decisions.
More recently, my collecting interests have focused on contemporary photography, particularly photographs produced between 1975 and 2006. As I explored this segment of the hobby, I became increasingly aware of a gap in the marketplace. While there was an established authentication Company in place that provided a great service, their cost can make authentication and encapsulation too costly for photographs valued below $500. Yet these more affordable photographs deserve the same careful consideration of authenticity as their higher-priced counterparts.
I believe there is an important distinction between a photograph’s monetary value and its authenticity. A $100 photograph can be every bit as authentic, historically significant, and personally meaningful to its owner as a photograph worth thousands of dollars.
That belief became the foundation for First Gen Photos.
Our mission is straightforward: to provide the hobby with a credible, affordable alternative for evaluating and authenticating original analog photographic prints produced from original
camera negatives.
I have tremendous respect for PSA and the contributions it has made to the collectibles industry. However, First Gen Photos is an independent company and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or otherwise associated with PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator). Our goal is
not to replace established authentication services, but to provide collectors with an additional,
cost-effective option.
Going Beyond Authentication
We are excited that First Gen Photos will offer more than authentication. We developed our approach by combining experienced collectors’ knowledge with professional
photographers’ technical expertise in analog negatives, printing methods, and image clarity.
Through this process we quickly determined that authentic first-generation photographs can vary in sharpness, detail, texture, and definition. As a result, we established the Photographic Clarity Index (PCI™).This evaluates these characteristics against a defined baseline of previously examined, accepted first-generation reference photographs providing additional objective evidence when assessing whether a print can be considered a first-generation photograph. The PCI also screens for visible signs of digital processing or intervention. A noticeable digital “fingerprint” is disqualifying under our standards; as a result a photograph showing such evidence will not qualify as a First Gen Photo. While the first step in the authentication will always be the professional evaluation of a photo, the PCI™ enables us to objectively support the broader authentication process.
Our Commitment to Collectors
First Gen Photos was created to serve an underserved segment of the collecting community: collectors who value authenticity, appreciate photographic quality, and believe the cost of evaluating both should be reasonable in relation to a photograph’s value.
Our goal is to combine decades of collecting experience, technical insight from professional photographers, and a disciplined approach to photographic evaluation, making authentication and clarity assessment more accessible to collectors at every level.
Above all, First Gen Photos was born from my perspective as a collector and from my understanding of what other collectors are looking for: confidence in what they own, clarity about what they are buying, and an affordable path to authentication.
I am excited about what First Gen Photos can contribute to the hobby, and we look forward to earning the trust of the collecting community. Thank you for visiting First Gen Photos and sharing my passion for collectible photography.
Doug Allen
Founder
First Gen Photos