A hotel in Iceland is offering a unique opportunity for one photographer: in exchange for photos of the Northern Lights, it will provide airfare to the country as well as a month of room and board.
As spotted by Travel and Leisure, Hotel Rangá, located in the countryside of South Iceland and a 90-minute drive away from the capital Reykjavik, is on the lookout for one traveling photographer who can showcase the hotel’s spectacular location which is ideal for viewing Northern Lights. This is the first time the hotel is seeking an official “lights catcher.”
As peak Northern Lights season — from September through to March — is approaching Iceland, the chosen applicant will receive room and board at the hotel as well as a round trip flight in exchange for both photo and video content of the beautiful natural phenomenon from mid-September to mid of October this year.
Additional hotel amenities available to the chosen applicant include access to the hotel’s stargazing observatory, hot tubs, and the opportunity to explore the wide and photogenic landscape of the area on the shooter’s days off.
The photographer will also have an option to visit The Highland Center Hrauneyjar, which is the hotel’s sister property located in the uninhabited center of Iceland — the Iceland highlands.
In return for this, the hotel asks a commitment of three weeks during which the photographer will provide high-quality Northern Lights photos and videos, with an unlimited license assigned to the hotel so that it can use them in promotional materials, be it printed or on the web, for an unlimited period of time. While the request to hand over full copyright to the hotel might seem like a steep ask, the “work for hire” exchange of room, board, and travel seems like a fair ask.
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Alongside general information, the application requires photographers to submit why they think they should become the hotel’s light catcher, whether they have any experience in photographing in darkness, have been to Iceland prior, or have captured Northern Lights before, and whether they have been vaccinated.
This is not the first time that Hotel Rangá has used innovative marketing techniques. Last year it offered free stays to women who proposed to their partners on Leap Day, and during the pandemic, it sent 700 free postcards to those who had requested them for Valentine’s Day.
Photographers interested in the opportunity can apply on the Hotel Rangá website. Although current travel restrictions to Iceland don’t apply to travelers with proof of vaccination or prior infection, all foreign visitors are required to preregister, with all the up-to-date travel news and restrictions available on the Island website.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
Author: Anete Lusina
Source: Petapixel
