Icelandair Selects Successful Candidate for Unconventional Photographer Role | News
Icelandair, Iceland’s national carrier, is proud to announce the selected candidate in its viral quest to find the world’s worst photographer, ready to become the unexpected name behind a new global ad campaign.
Icelandair launched this unconventional recruitment drive after discovering that many people believe images of Iceland look “too good to be true.” By championing imperfect photography – whether blurry, poorly composed, or poorly lit – Icelandair aims to prove that Iceland’s natural beauty is so breathtaking it transcends technical photographic prowess. No filters. No AI trickery. Just raw, authentic moments that remind us why Iceland actually deserves all the hype.
The winning applicant
The person Icelandair has deemed truly awful at taking photos is Blanche Mortemard, from Paris, France. Blanche has been chosen from an unprecedented 127,642 applications submitted from 178 countries worldwide, following a highly competitive selection process in which she impressed the Icelandair team with her admirable lack of skills and knowledge of basic photography. Blanche truly is the best of the worst, bravo.
During the interview process, Blanche demonstrated an unbelievable ability to take poor photos and shared many photos from her camera roll, confirming to the Icelandair team that her bad photography skills extend well beyond the application itself. What she also showed was an understanding of what really matters in photography: capturing genuine, unfiltered moments – no matter what they look like. Blurry? Perfectly acceptable. Accidentally decapitated your subject? Welcome to the club. Lighting that makes everyone look like they’re emerging from a cave? Chef’s kiss.
On her hiring, Blanche commented: “For years, friends and family have asked why my photos always look disappointing. I’m thrilled to finally have an answer: I was training for this role. This project celebrates imperfection – probably the only photography competition I ever stood a chance of winning.”
She added, “What excites me most is exploring Iceland. Every photo I see looks completely different – glaciers, volcanoes, black sand beaches, waterfalls. Pick a lane, Iceland! I’m not entirely convinced you’re real. I’ll be documenting Iceland with the confidence of a professional photographer and the skills of someone who definitely isn’t one. If Iceland can survive being photographed by me, it can survive anything!”
“We’re thrilled to have finally found our bad photographer,” said Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, Global Director of Marketing, Icelandair. “This project has resonated across the globe because people are tired of manufactured perfection. We really admired people’s courage to embrace authenticity over fakery – that really stuck out among all applicants. Plus, we’ve had a lot of fun viewing some truly unforgettable submissions. Blanche perfectly encapsulates what we were looking for, and we can’t wait to work with her.”
The overwhelming response proves the world is tired of polished, filtered, AI-enhanced everything. By removing gatekeeping requirements like “professional portfolios” and “actual photography skills,” what emerges are people who bring genuine passion and perspective – even if their perspective is slightly out of focus.
Blanche will now receive a contractor agreement with Icelandair for a comprehensive Iceland photography expedition – where she’ll have 10 days to prove that Iceland’s natural beauty is indeed foolproof, even in her hands.
As Icelandair’s bad photographer she will receive $50,000 fixed fee for her time, photos, and expenses. The job includes flights, accommodation, and transportation in Iceland. Also included: eternal glory as the person who got paid to do what everyone said they were terrible at.
What’s next?
The search for the worst photographer may be over but now comes the fun part: putting Blanche’s (lack of) skills to the test, on the road in Iceland. You can follow Blanche’s journey on Icelandair’s website and social media channels this summer.
