Icelandair is searching for a really bad photographer to help prove that even the worst snapper can take great photos of Iceland.
The airline posted a classified-style ad “REALLY BAD PHOTOGRAPHER WANTED. Paid assignment. In Iceland. Approximately 10-day trip. Accommodation and travel expenses included. Required that the applicant have no photography skills.
Preferably bad at framing, not familiar with composition, white balance, colour theory, or image-making in general. Assignment dates are in June. Specific dates negotiable. Apply at: reallybadphotographer.com. This is a serious ad. Only serious candidates, please.”
The selected candidate will receive a 10-day trip to Iceland in June 2026, with travel expenses covered, plus US$50,000 for photography, content and participation.
There is also the prospect of wider exposure, with images potentially appearing in a global campaign.
Icelandair says it is looking for someone with no professional photography background and no particular interest in learning the craft. Instead, it wants a person who is happy using a phone or basic camera, often disappointed by their own photos, but occasionally surprised when one turns out well.
Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, Global Director of Marketing, Icelandair: “We realised that Iceland’s landscapes are so stunning, they’re practically foolproof. We’re tired of seeing polished, digitally-enhanced images that don’t capture the real magic of our country. So, we decided to flip the script and find people unapologetically bad at photography, but who still love to capture every moment. Because sometimes, the best way to showcase authentic beauty is to throw away the rulebook.”
Last year the airline riffed on the growing wave of AI anxiety and deepfake fatigue by staging a conspiracy movie in which two travelers insisted that Iceland is fabricated.
Creative agency is Hvíta húsið, marketing is being done in-house and FleishmanHillard is doing PR.
Applications close on April 30, 2026. Details here.
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