Times People Forgot To Check The Background Of Their Photo
Here's a mind-boggling statistic: every two minutes, more pictures are snapped globally than were taken during the entire century of the 1800s. This means that our photographic record is growing at an exponential pace.
This means, of course, that the potential for photobombs, or weird coincidences in the background of pics, grows more and more every day. Let these pics serve as a reminder that it's always worth giving snapshots a thorough look before posting them online for all to see.
"Mom, can you help me out?"
We're all used to taking selfies, but there are some pics where you just need an actual person to capture everything that you want captured. That's clearly what happened here - it's just a shame that his mom was captured in frame.
Unless you're strategically using the mirror to capture something intentionally, it's probably best practice to just avoid mirrors altogether in photographs. After all, you never know what that telltale mirror is going to show.
An all-time great.
This is the kind of rare photobomb that requires the perfect angles in order to work. The guy in the water saw his chance and he took it, but he had no control over whether he'd actually be visible or not.
In a bit of a happy accident, the largest gap in the photo between the girls' arms just happens to be the perfect spot to frame our intrepid photobomber. This truly belongs in the photobombing hall of fame.
Spotting a legend.
This sequence shows us a satisfying little story in three pics: a couple taking pics on the beach just happens to see basketball superstar Dwyane Wade strolling by in the background with a friend.
D-Wade comes over, poses for a pic with the couple, and the photobomber becomes a friend. Isn't it nice when things work out perfectly like this. Props to Wade for taking the time to take the pic.
A group effort.
Photobombs, whether they're brilliantly executed or come about as a spur of the moment thing, generally feature just one person doing the photobombing. It's hard to get enough coordination to get lots of people in on the joke.
The people in the foreground must have spent a lot of time setting up their pic - time enough for the people in the background to get together and execute an excellent photobomb. It looks like The Last Supper.
Next level.
It takes you a sec to see what's going on in this pic, because the photobomber isn't actually visible in the flesh. In this case, he's only visible through the magic of see-through surfaces.
There's something about the color palette and reflective qualities of the window that give this a unique quality. It's like he's there, but he isn't there. To the women in the photo, he may as well not be there at all.
It isn't what you think.
Maybe you have a dirty mind (the lady in the background definitely does), but that guy is holding nothing more risqué than an unusually large gummy worm. I mean, if I ever saw gummy candy that big, I'd want a pic.
To be fair to the background lady, she might not have been shocked. Maybe she's just covering her mouth after a yawn and isn't even looking at the guy. Still, I like to think that this sight scandalized her.
The poor waiter.
If you've ever worked a service job, this scene might be familiar. Or, more likely, it isn't familiar at all. This server was just trying to carry food to some hungry folks when some random disembodied hand came out of nowhere to grab his junk.
The expression on his face really says it all. It's truly jarring to have someone suddenly grab your junk, and it's understandable if having this happen takes you aback a little bit.
When autofocus makes its choice.
Modern cameras take a lot of the guesswork out of photography, and their impressive software does a good job of automatically detecting which areas of the image to focus on, and which areas to blur.
They're not perfect, though. Sometimes the AI wizardry going on behind the scenes decides, for whatever reason, that a horse's butt deserves the focus rather than the person who's taking the selfie. This is one of the great photobombs of all time, and the photobombing horse doesn't even know it's happening.
Soon, it will be his.
Anyone who has a dog knows that they'll give you all kinds of looks when you're eating something that they want to get a taste of. These facial expressions usually run the gamut from plaintive to pathetic.
So it isn't weird that this doggo wants a taste of that vanilla soft serve, but it is a little bit chilling how dedicated he looks. Like, if she doesn't offer him the ice cream willingly, he might just hatch a nefarious plot against her life.
Found him!
Perhaps you spent a good part of your childhood poring over Where's Waldo (or Where's Wally) books. If so, you have years of training to carefully analyze this photo and figure out where to focus your eyes.
That's right, it's Waldo himself in the background. Honestly, he makes it pretty easy to find him when he's wearing that classic Waldo outfit in an area where nobody else is wearing red and white. I've solved harder puzzles.
There are layers to this.
Plenty of photos in this genre feature dogs inappropriately photobombing a couple (keep reading, you'll see what I'm talking about). But this photo has some role reversal, as the guy's girlfriend is getting in on a pic of him with his dog.
I'm also a little bit confused by the image on her phone. Is it intentional? Is she committing photobombception? You can see her actual face (obviously), but you can also see her on the phone's screen.
When you see your future.
The risk of wearing bright colors is that you may wind up inadvertantly twinning with someone. If you're really unlucky, that person who's wearing the same thing as you might just look exactly like you, only 30 years into the future.
If there's a lesson here, it's that while colors like black and white may be boring and may not work best for your coloration, no one is going to notice if you're both wearing the same shade.
Living in the moment.
One of the joys of parenting is that when your kids are old enough to start taking selfies and participating in whatever the current trends are, there are ample opportunities to clown on them.
Her pose isn't even particularly noteworthy, let alone cringeworthy - but something about the juxtaposition of her dad in the frame makes things hilarious. Bravo, dad. This is the kind of image that should be framed and shown on her wedding day.
This photo just works.
Blur your eyes a little bit, and it looks like the baby has some kind of Dr. Seuss curlicue hairstyle. Unblur them and it looks like a tiny dog is taking a squat right on the baby's head.
The dog didn't line things up this way, and I'm guessing the proud papa didn't either. It's just an example of the universe aligning perfectly - and a reminder that dogs are going to do what they need to do.
An honored guest.
There's something hilarious about seeing a quizzical, and highly interested, beluga whale observing this wedding ceremony. It seems like the couple might be sharing a laugh over the beluga's presence as well.
This is a fun one, because it's not just a funny pic, it's also exactly the kind of pic you're going to want in your wedding snapshots. After all, if you choose to get married at an aquarium, you probably want at least a few of these shots.
Caught.
We engage in all sorts of trickery in photographs, from posing in a way to accentuate our best features to straight-up digital manipulation to make things look better. But somehow, this kind of fakery feels the fakest of all.
I don't know why anyone would want a pic of themselves passed out and covered in potato chips. But if you do want a selfie like this for whatever reason, just don't take it directly in front of a mirror.
She didn't check the background.
A lot of these photos feature something going on in the background that the photographer couldn't have known about until they saw the finished photo. In this case, the photographer knew what was wrong the very second the pic was snapped.
This is a good reminder to quickly check your surroundings before taking a selfie. There isn't usually going to be a giraffe behind you that's looking to eat your head, but you can never rule out the possibility.
Two of a kind.
When you get all dolled up for a night out, it's a good idea to take a pic of your wardrobe and overall vibe. These pics are posed, but they also have a certain candid or impromptu aspect to them.
That's definitely the case here. While she looks totally fine in the pic, there's no way she wanted to juxtapose the demonic hellhound in the background as part of her selfie. The two looks clash, to say the least.
Overdressed versus underdressed.
Here's example number one thousand for why you should always make sure there are no mirrors in frame before you take a pic. At least the dapper dude in the suit can (mostly) crop out that mirror.
Credit to the photographer, too. While he might be a little (or a lot) underdressed, he stepped up to take a pretty good pic when he was called on. Whether he should have put on shirts or pants is up to your interpretation.
Out of nowhere.
Usually, the unexpected stuff that randomly happens in a photograph is going on in the background. But in some cases, you'll get a surprise foreground photobomb. I'm not sure what that bird is - an ostrich, maybe - but it's an adept photobomber.
This couple clearly wanted a nice pic of them hanging out with farm animals. I like how the bird's expression adds a chaotic element to what would otherwise be a very chill vibe.
It took me a minute.
Before taking a closer look at this pic, I just have to say that while it's nice to see young love and all, this is a particularly unflattering pic of this couple.
But when you get over their facial expressions and gaze into the abyss (or the area between them), you'll see a lurker. Let's hope that it was one of their friends and not a random person who decided to get uncomfortably close.
Time for a little cat content.
When it comes to photobombing pets, dogs usually lead the way. But let's not forget the fact that our feline friends can also get in the way of photos in hilariously unexpected ways.
In this case, I'm not even sure what the cat is reacting to. The young woman in the foreground has a neutral facial expression and doesn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary. Maybe the cat was just surprised to be part of a candid photo.
It couldn't have worked out any better.
It's hard to believe that the Jesus-looking guy in the background didn't intend to juxtapose himself against a statue of the actual Jesus behind him. Still, I'm pretty sure that this is just a happy accident and he didn't intend for the angle to work out this way.
The angles in this are kind of weird in general because the couple is sitting on steps below the main area. At least they have Jesus dude watching over them.
When you need a drink.
I don't know if this guy is going to prom, or serving as a groomsman, or what. In any case, he's dressed to the nines, so it makes perfect sense to immortalize his outfit with a selfie.
It's hard not to use a mirror for these selfies, since the mirror makes the pic. But maybe it's a good idea to close the toilet lid beforehand, just to prevent the possibility of a cat going for a drink right as you snap the photo.
He knows what he's doing.
This is a nice pic of two friends. Wait, scratch that - this is a nice pic of two friends and also a really unflattering pic of their third friend, who just happens to be a dog.
Oftentimes, dogs are totally unaware that they're being captured on camera. But judging by this mutt's facial expression, and the fact that he's looking directly at the camera, I think he has at least some idea of what's going on.
A standard issue photobomb.
This is the kind of wholesome content that keeps me logging in to social media every day. What would otherwise be a nice enough, but unremarkable, photo of a couple is elevated by this brilliant photobomb.
What's more, the guy isn't ruining the pic. They can easily crop him out if they so desire. But if I was either of them, I think I'd just want to keep the guy in frame. It's much more memorable that way.
Ghosts are real.
We've seen some excellent examples of shenanigans in both the foreground and background (and probably the middle ground) of various photos. But this is the first example we've seen that seems to incorporate the spirit realm as well.
I think this is a guy who ran in front of the camera as the pic was being taken, and something with the shutter speed and lighting caused things to look like this. Either that, or he's legitimately a ghost. Hard to say.
Watching, waiting.
This photo brings up an important question: who is the bigger creep in this situation - the guy in the blue shirt, or the person taking a photo of this intimate moment?
I mean, even though I find it kind of weird to photograph these moments, the clear answer is the guy in the blue shirt. Just look at him. What's he thinking? What's he plotting? Do we need to be concerned?
Outfit on point...or not.
At first, I'd have to say that this dad really nailed his Ke$ha costume. At the very least, he put a lot of effort into the hair and makeup, and for that, he should be commended.
Children can be the harshest critics of all, though, and the expression on the face of his daughter says it all. Even if he thinks he nailed it, I really don't think his daughter wants anything to do with the whole situation.
When photobombs are wholesome.
Lots of photobombs have a wholesome element - just someone in the background seeing the opportunity to humorously interject themselves into someone else's snapshot. There's something about this, though, that feels even more wholesome than most.
I think the best part is that the kid looking over the divider probably isn't even trying to photobomb this couple. He's just doing what kids do in restaurants, which is spy on everyone else and get overstimulated by all of the activity in the area.
Don't I recognize you from some game?
The top hat, the bushy white mustache, the monocle - why, it can only be the Monopoly Man himself, who's appropriately sitting in the gallery at the Equifax senate hearing.
If you're a stickler for accuracy, here's a tip: he isn't actually called Monopoly Man or Monopoly Guy. His proper name is Milburn Pennybags, and he's sometimes known as Rich Uncle Pennybags. For the sake of brevity, he's often referred to as Mr. Monopoly.
Somebody's watching me.
We've all been there: you're in a store with a friend, you see something cute (but probably not worth actually buying), and you want a pic to commemorate the occasion. Then, you go through your camera reel later to see how things turned out.
In the end, you might find that it's a nice picture of you, but the composition is ruined somewhat by the fact that there was a guy behind you, staring intently at your butt the whole time.
Nice suit for the most part.
This guy wanted a selfie showing his new blazer or suit jacket. Mission accomplished, I suppose - but I'm not sure if that white shirt really goes with the outfit or not.
One thing that definitely doesn't go with the outfit, by anyone's estimation, is the fact that this guy isn't wearing pants. He either needs to find a pair to wear, get better at cropping, or just ditch the unfortunately placed mirror in his closet.
Voldemort just wanted to get some sun.
I feel kind of bad making fun of this one, because the Voldemort-looking guy in the background doesn't seem to be intentionally making a joke. He's just chilling on the lawn, trying to get a tan on his pasty, pasty skin.
Either way, once you see it, you can't unsee it. The foreground pic is a nice shot of two friends on a summer day, but despite the pleasant temperatures, Voldemort will always give me chills.
The face of evil.
Sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap isn't as cherished a tradition as sitting on Santa's lap. Like, what are you going to ask for, cheap chocolate candy and plastic eggs? I digress, because that isn't really the point here.
What we're really focusing on here isn't the Easter Bunny itself, it's the guy who's playing the Easter Bunny. I've never seen a costumed mascot who so plainly has such evil on their mind.
When you see it.
Here's another example of a quick snapshot of someone who wants to capture her cute outfit. Again, everything looks good. There's nobody else in the frame. So what's the problem with this otherwise normal pic?
Just look in the lower left of the frame. Those convex shaving mirrors are designed to magnify the face. They have their uses, but they certainly don't present the most flattering angles - and that's never been more true than in this pic.
You never really know what someone is going for in a selfie like this. Is it brooding contemplation, or was this truly an impromptu photo in which she wasn't going for any sort of facial expression?
In any event, we absolutely know what the guy in the background was going for: a pose, any pose really, that would completely ruin her selfie. In his efforts, he was able to succeed - and for that we commend him.
An expression for the ages.
The reaction is truly what makes this pic. Not everyone is going to bust out their camera for a public restroom mirror selfie, but that said, it's not exactly unheard of to do so.
If the pic showed just the guy on the left, it would be totally unremarkable. But the older guy, who's just trying to wash his hands in peace, has an expression for the ages. He can't figure out the younger generation, and frankly, he doesn't want to.
Foreground photobomb.
Here's an example you'll see occasionally, one where the photobomber is in the foreground of the photo, not the background. In this case, the one stealing all the attention (and the camera's literal focus) is a little sea turtle.
I don't think the turtle is doing this for the jokes, though. He honestly looks like he's seen enough, is over these vacationers, and just wants to get back to doing whatever it is that sea turtles do.
The boss of photobombs.
It's hard not to be jealous of her seats for this Bruce Springsteen concert - they're literally right next to the Boss himself. To add on to her luck, just look at this photo. It should be framed in the Louvre.
Bruce is teaching us a powerful lesson here: if you see the chance to photobomb someone's pic, you should always take it - even if you'll never wind up seeing the photo in question.
Just had to be the center of attention.
If you've ever lived in or visited somewhere with lizards, you know that these reptiles are slow-moving...until they start moving really, really fast. She just wanted a nice selfie at this historic fort, but she got more than she bargained for.
Odds are good that this iguana was just going from point A to point B and didn't care about anyone's photo. But I'd like to think that a part of him knew what he was doing.
Fitting in nicely.
It took me a moment to even understand how this guy was in the reflection at all, considering he's invisible in the normal angle. He's just positioned himself in such a way that he's fully hidden behind the couple, but visible in the mirror.
I'm not sure if the couple is going to appreciate having this happen to their photos, but this is just another example of why selfies in front of mirrors can yield unintended consequences.
Taking a chomp.
Sharks seem like generally humorless and terrifying creatures, but this shark might just have a few jokes, judging by this photobomb. Either that or it's sizing up whether or not it could eat this entire boat.
I'm sure this fisherman knows what he's doing out there, but if I was him and I saw this photo, I'd turn around and head back to shore, never to venture out to sea ever again.
The center of attention.
A well-loved family dog already knows that it's the star of the show anytime it walks into a room. This dog is really pushing things by interrupting this family photo, but it doesn't look like anyone's too perturbed.
Considering they likely got the right photo, sans dog, right after this pic was taken, this whole scene is a big win. They'll probably treasure this random doggo photobomb for years to come.
They're here.
Depending on how you feel about trash pandas, this would either be a magically impromptu occurrence, or feel like the beginning of a horror movie. As cute as raccoons can be, that's a lot of raccoons.
Fortunately, raccoons are pretty chill and are probably just looking for some trash to eat. The bride might have to surrender her bouquet to the horde, but otherwise, I think this newlywed couple will be safe. I think.
Photobombing your own wife.
If you've ever been a part of a wedding photography photoshoot, you know that things have a tendency to drag on - which can be extremely boring when you're just waiting for when you're needed again.
This groom has the right idea: if you're waiting for the photographer and your bride to get the perfect photo, burn off some energy by jumping into frame for a quick cameo. Everyone will love it, maybe.
Quizzical deer.
It looks like they got the self timer all set to go, got everyone into frame, got everyone to smile, and then...had a deer come out of absolutely nowhere and ruin the whole photo.
It's a great pic of a deer, I'll give them that - especially considering the fact that in no way did anyone intend to actually photograph a deer. Hopefully they got a proper pic after this.
