For those who take really bad vacation photos, there is now a different chance to make money from their ”talent.” The airline Icelandair is currently looking for the world’s worst photographer, with the claim that it is impossible to take bad photos of Iceland’s nature. Compensation for the assignment? A 10-day paid trip to Iceland and $50,000 – the equivalent of almost half a million kronor.

Icelandair is looking for someone with a very special talent: the ability to take absolutely terrible photos – and this is not a late April Fool's joke. The photographer is welcome to check off one or more of the following "requirements":

• Broken camera phone from 2003?
• Thumb visible in every picture?
• Pictures that are somehow ALWAYS a little out of focus?
• Hijacking a subject with poor composition?

Application are submitted via Icelandair's website and the person who is offered the role gets to go on a 10-day paid trip to Iceland and a whopping $50,000 as compensation for photography, content and participation.

AI-generated images create suspicion of Iceland's perfect nature

Through this unusual mission, Icelandair wants to show the world that not even a blurry photo, a clumsy composition or bad lighting can ruin Iceland's natural beauty in pictures. At the same time, the airline wants to prove that Iceland's beauty is real. In an age of AI-generated imagery, many people, according to Icelandair focus groups, think that images of Iceland look ”too good to be true.” 

– We realized that the Icelandic landscape is so amazing that it can be photographed by absolutely anyone and still be beautiful. We're tired of seeing polished, digitally enhanced images that don't capture the true magic of our country. So we decided to turn it around and find people who are unapologetically bad at photography, but still love to capture every moment. Sometimes the best way to show true beauty is to throw out the rule book, says Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, Global Marketing Manager at Icelandair.

Here's how it works

Apply via Icelandair's website by April 30th: Bad photographer wanted

Whoever gets the role at Icelandair will be sent on an approximately 10-day photo expedition around Iceland during the summer, including flights, accommodation, transportation, and a fixed fee of $50,000 in time compensation and any additional costs.

The application process consists of three steps: a six-question questionnaire, a personal profile, and an optional video submission (up to 1 minute). Candidates who are selected will be invited to participate in a final video interview.

Icelandair will use a variety of methods to find the perfect person for the job. Pay attention to how they search for applicants in your local city – it might surprise you.