diff --git a/pinaxcon/templatetags/lca2018_tags.py b/pinaxcon/templatetags/lca2018_tags.py
index 1f596d77..9ca36f2a 100644
--- a/pinaxcon/templatetags/lca2018_tags.py
+++ b/pinaxcon/templatetags/lca2018_tags.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import hashlib
+import logging
 
 from decimal import Decimal
 from django import template
@@ -13,6 +14,9 @@ from regidesk.models import CheckIn
 CONFERENCE_ID = settings.CONFERENCE_ID
 GST_RATE = settings.GST_RATE
 
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
 register = template.Library()
 
 
@@ -42,18 +46,19 @@ def speaker_photo(context, speaker, size):
     ''' Provides the speaker profile, or else fall back to libravatar or gravatar. '''
 
     if speaker.photo:
-        thumbnailer = get_thumbnailer(speaker.photo)
-        thumbnail_options = {'crop': True, 'size': (size, size)}
-        thumbnail = thumbnailer.get_thumbnail(thumbnail_options)
-        return thumbnail.url
-    else:
-        email = speaker.user.email.encode("utf-8")
-        md5sum = hashlib.md5(email.strip().lower()).hexdigest()
-        fallback_image = ("https://linux.conf.au/site_media/static/lca2017"
-                          "/images/speaker-fallback-devil.jpg")
-        url = "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/%s?s=%d&d=%s" % (md5sum, size, "mp")
+        try:
+            thumbnailer = get_thumbnailer(speaker.photo)
+            thumbnail_options = {'crop': True, 'size': (size, size)}
+            thumbnail = thumbnailer.get_thumbnail(thumbnail_options)
+            return thumbnail.url
+        except:
+            log.exception("Cannot create thumbnail for speaker %s, image %s" % speaker.code, speaker.photo)
 
-        return url
+    # Use gravatar if no photo can be used.
+    email = speaker.user.email.encode("utf-8")
+    md5sum = hashlib.md5(email.strip().lower()).hexdigest()
+    url = "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/%s?s=%d&d=%s" % (md5sum, size, "mp")
+    return url
 
 
 @register.simple_tag()