Icelandair Found its ‘Really Bad Photographer’ and Gave Her $50,000
Back in March, Icelandair launched an extremely unusual photo contest. Instead of seeking the most talented, best photographer, Icelandair wanted a “really bad” one. The airline wanted to show that Iceland is so beautiful that even a bad photographer could get good photos.
In exchange for being publicly labeled as a terrible photographer, the winning (or losing) photographer would score a 10-day trip to Iceland and $50,000. It’s a fantastic prize, far better than what nearly every photo competition offers to exceptional shooters, and French “photographer” Blanche Mortemard rose to the top of a massive pile of 127,624 self-professed really bad photographers.
Icelandair took this process extremely seriously, dedicating over 2,000 hours to screening and interviews with applicants. The airline company settled on 13 finalists late last month, and ultimately, Mortemard is the lucky winner.
“It turns out there are a lot more bad photographers out there than we ever expected,” Icelandair remarked when it closed submissions on May 1.
“The search for a really bad photographer may be over, but now comes the fun part: putting Blanche’s (lack of) skills to the test on the road in Iceland,” Icelandair says. “You can follow Blanche’s journey on our social media channels this summer.”
As Mortemard’s application shows, what she lacks in pure photographic talent, she more than makes up for in spirit. Her photos are often blurry, demonstrating a lack of technical proficiency. But it is their imperfection that caught the judges’ eye.
“We’re thrilled to have finally found our bad photographer,” says 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.”
“She really is a bad photographer,” Icelandair says. “And she’s just amazing.”
That sums up the winner very well. Blanche Mortemard may have been crowned the worst photographer from 127,624 applicants, which could be a real blow to someone’s ego, but she is genuinely ecstatic about the opportunity and clearly has a passion for travel. Can Iceland itself overcome Mortemard’s utter inability to capture good photos? Icelandair believes so.
“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,” Mortemard says. “This project celebrates imperfection — probably the only photography competition I ever stood a chance of winning.”
“The bar was low, but you somehow flew under it. Welcome aboard, Blanche!” Icelandair says.
There is little doubt that Mortemard’s $50,000 payday is the most anyone has ever been paid specifically for being terrible at photography.
“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,” the winning photographer says.
“So Iceland, here I come,” Mortemard promises, or perhaps threatens.
Image credits: Icelandair, Blanche Mortemard
