Iceland hotel launches search for ‘Midnight Sun Catcher’

Budding travel photographers could receive free 10-day trip

Midnight sun over the Blue Lagoon (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A hotel in Iceland has launched a search for a unique position: “Midnight Sun Catcher”.

Luxury resort Hotel Rangá is looking to engage a travel photographer to capture images of the Midnight Sun, a phenomenon which sees the country bathed in near constant sunlight during the summer months.

From May to August the sun doesn’t fully set in Iceland, often resulting in spectacular skies swathed in reds, pinks and purples in the early morning hours.

The hotel has invited budding picture takers to apply for the one-of-a-kind role, which it describes as “a great opportunity for new photographers to build up their photography portfolio.”

It adds: “What’s more, the Midnight Sun Catcher will also get the opportunity to explore the photogenic land of fire and ice on their days off.

“Iceland’s remarkable landscape offers a myriad of incredible places to shoot – glacier-volcanoes, black sand beaches, highland hot springs and more.”

Whoever secures the position will be invited to stay for free at the hotel for 10 days in June, with their flights also covered.

As well as capturing high-quality snaps and videos of the Hotel Rangá, the lucky snapper will be invited to visit the hotel’s sister property, Highland Center Hrauneyjar, in the Icelandic highlands.

The Midnight Sun Catcher will also get access to the hotel’s stargazing observatory as part of the assignment.

Hotel Rangá ran a similar scheme in 2021, advertising that it was looking for a Northern Lights photographer.

It was inundated with applications – more than 4,800 in total, from candidates in more than 50 countries worldwide – and was so impressed by the entries that two people were selected instead of one: Paige Deasley from Canada and Germany-based Stefan Libermann.

Under the terms and conditions, the hotel will have unlimited licence to mutually-agreed-upon photographs and videos from the “Midnight Sun Catcher” and can use them in all promotional material for an unlimited period of time.

Candidates can apply for the role through the Hotel Rangá website and will be required to sumit examples of their work. Entry closes on 15 May.