REGISTRATION FOR THE BIG
PHOTO EVENT HAS BEGUN
Dear photographers and friends,
The major photography festival of the Icelandic Professional Photographers Association is fast approaching, held in collaboration with FEP and WPC. Over the past two years, the board has invested a great deal of work into preparing this event, which is the largest photography gathering ever held in Iceland. It will be a full day featuring outstanding speakers and award ceremonies in cooperation with our international partners.
Our main sponsors Ofar, Canon Iceland, Reykjavík Foto, and Sony Iceland will be present, showcasing their latest products and solutions. Thanks to these companies, admission to the Saturday program is free; however, tickets must be reserved online (via the registration link below).
The President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, will honor us with her presence and will take part in a photographic session using traditional glass plate photography, in celebration of 100 years of Icelandic photographic history. This symbolic moment pays tribute to the pioneers, craftsmanship, and the future of photography in Iceland.
WHERE & WHEN:
April 25th, 2026
Hilton Reykjavík Nordica, Address: Suðurlandsbraut 2
Doors open at 10:00
THE OCCASION:
The event marks the 100 year anniversary of the Icelandic Professional Photographers Association. In addition, we have joined forces with FEP (Federation of European Photographers) and WPC (World Photographic Cup), who will announce the results of their photography competitions on the same day. This will be a unique opportunity to celebrate both Icelandic and international photography. Numerous international guests are expected to attend the festival. The entire event will be held in English.
REFRESHMENTS:
Drinks & snacks will be provided throughout the program (coffee, tea, water, cakes & biscuits). Food will also be available for purchase on site during the day. The festival will conclude with a festive dinner and entertainment. Admission to the dinner must be purchased separately (via the registration link below).
PROGRAM: (times might change slightly)
10:00 – House opens / Registration
10:45 – Welcome address by the Minister of Culture, Innovation and Universities, Logi Einarsson
11:00 – Kate & Brent Kirkman - Sony speakers
11:45 – Break
12:00 – WPC Award Show
13:15 – Break (Lunch)
13:15 - Glass plate photoshoot of The President of Iceland
14:00 – Benjamin Hardman - Canon speaker
14:45 – Short break
15:00 – Ragnar Axelsson (RAX) - Leica speaker
15:45 – Break
16:15 – FEP Award Show
18:00 – Dinner
19:00 – Party
22:00 – House closes
REGISTRATION:
The event is free of charge, but the evening dinner requires a separate ticket.
Please note: Registration for the event is mandatory
SPEAKERS:
Our speaker line up for this event is fantastic!
BENJAMIN HARDMAN
Forging a career as a photographer, filmmaker and field guide after beginning to travel around Iceland and later moving from his home in Australia in 2015, Benjamin's core focus is to tell deeper visual stories of nature in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, both as a traveller and a local. The progression of exploring Iceland has slowly shifted over the years from the coastline to the most remote regions of the highlands. His photographs are driven by the pursuit to immerse deeper into nature and return to the same locations throughout the year to better understand the visual changes that each season brings.
Moving deeper into the polar regions, Benjamin has carried out multiple natural history assignments and worked as a photography guide since 2017 in Svalbard, Greenland and Antarctica. Benjamin has worked on photography and video productions for global brands such as Netflix, BBC, National Geographic, Disney, DJI, Canon, 66 North, Tesla and more.
KATE & BRENT KIRKMAN
A strong vocational calling to become a professional photographer drew Kate from her high-profile jobs in Marketing at ITV, and as an Account Director for the branding company Lambie-Nairn. Working with clients including FIFA, O2, and the BBC showed her the power that photographic imagery can have on clients and customers alike. Having worked as a creative storytelling photographer for the past 15 years and having written regular articles and columns for the trade’s press, she is regarded as one of the industry’s leading lights. Under her brand Kate Hopewell-Smith Photography she became one of a handful of global ambassadors for Nikon when she shot on DSLR and now both she and her husband Brent, are not only Sony European Imaging Ambassadors, but also Rotolight – Masters of Light. Kate also shoots with Elizabeth under the Luxury Boudoir brand – MUSE and together the team run visual content agency CREATE.
Brent, likewise, spent over 25 years in Global IT specialising in CRM and Mobile prior to becoming a celebrated cinematographer. As an ex-developer of cutting-edge tech, he has a vast knowledge of website and mobile phone technology which helps CREATE stay ahead of the field. Combine that with his CAA GVC drone pilot licence and his Navy diving qualifications and you have a truly formidable set of talents in one neat little package – a bit like a Jedi.
Kate & Brent have recently relocated to Cornwall but still shoot weddings all over the UK and Abroad. They describe themselves as people ‘who need water to breathe’.
RAGNAR AXELSSON - RAX
For over 40 years, Ragnar Axelsson, RAX (b. 1958), has been photographing the people, animals and landscape of the most remote regions of the Arctic, including Iceland, Siberia and Greenland. In stark black-and-white images, he captures the elemental, human experience of nature at the edge of the liveable world, making visible the extraordinary relationships between the people of the Arctic and their extreme environment - relationships now being altered in profound and complex ways by unprecedented climate changes.
A photojournalist at Morgunblaðið (1976 - 2020), Ragnar has also worked on freelance assignments in Latvia, Lithuania, Mozambique, South Africa, China and Ukraine. His photographs have been featured in LIFE, Newsweek, Stern, GEO, National Geographic, Time, and Polka, and have been exhibited widely.
Ragnar has published eight books in various international editions. His most recent book, Arctic Heroes published in 2020, Jökull (Glacier) published in 2018, with a foreword by Ólafur Elíasson. Andlit Nordursins (Faces of The North), was published in 2016, with a foreword by Mary Ellen Mark, and won the 2017 Icelandic Literary Prize for non-fiction. Other awards for Ragnar's work include numerous Icelandic photojournalist awards; The Leica Oskar Barnack Award (Honorable Mention); the Grand Prize, Photo de Mer, Vannes; and Iceland's highest honour, the Order of the Falcon, Knight's Cross.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS!
We encourage all photographers to attend, connect, and strengthen their professional network. This is a unique opportunity to connect with both Icelandic and international colleagues.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEE YOU
THE ICELANDIC PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION
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