‘World’s Worst Photographer’ Wins $50,000 Icelandair Contest

A French woman has been crowned the world’s “worst photographer” after beating more than 127,000 applicants in an unconventional competition run by Icelandair.

The airline launched the campaign in March, not to find the most skilled photographer, but someone whose photography skills were notably lacking.

The idea was to demonstrate that Iceland’s dramatic landscapes are so photogenic that even an inexperienced photographer could capture memorable images.

After reviewing a mammoth 127,624 applications and spending more than 2,000 hours screening entries and conducting interviews, Icelandair selected 13 finalists before naming 28-year-old Paris resident Blanche Mortemard as the winner.

Mortemard’s prize includes a 10-day trip around Iceland and US$50,000, making it one of the most lucrative photography-related competition awards in recent memory.

“It turns out there are a lot more bad photographers out there than we ever expected,” Icelandair said after entries closed in May.

The airline said Mortemard stood out because of the authenticity and charm of her imperfect images, many of which featured blurry subjects and questionable composition.

“We’re thrilled to have finally found our bad photographer,” said Gísli S. Brynjólfsson, Icelandair’s global director of marketing.

“This project has resonated across the globe because people are tired of manufactured perfection. We admired people’s willingness to embrace authenticity, and Blanche perfectly encapsulates what we were looking for.”

Icelandair plans to send Mortemard on a summer journey across Iceland, documenting the country through her unique photographic lens. The airline will share her travels on its social media channels.

Mortemard embraced the tongue-in-cheek title, saying she had unknowingly spent years preparing for the role.

“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,” she said.

“This project celebrates imperfection — probably the only photography competition I ever stood a chance of winning.”

The winning images included a collection of snapshots featuring blurred subjects, awkward framing and accidental compositions — precisely the qualities the competition was designed to celebrate.

Despite being officially declared a bad photographer, Mortemard said she is eager to test whether Iceland’s scenery can overcome her lack of technical ability.

“I’ll be documenting Iceland with the confidence of a professional photographer and the skills of someone who definitely isn’t one,” she said. “If Iceland can survive being photographed by me, it can survive anything.”