Photobomb or "Wrong Place, Wrong Time"?

[cgattis]

My fave photobomb ever....we discovered when we got home from the BCS national championship game in 2009. Some Texas jerk had leaned in behind our pregame pic (probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us, based on cost), and did a nice big two-handed "hook 'em Horns." After we beat the crap out of them, finding that was priceless. Just wish I knew who he was so I could've sent him a copy and a big ol' Roll Tide

 

[2Tiggies]

I love your photo OP With and without the 'bomber' it has two completely different effects and to be honest, both are great for different reasons

One of my best photobombs was by a Disney cleaner last year. Don't worry, even the Photopass photographer had one of his shots affected. She just appeared out of nowhere and practically swept DD's feet Being annoyed wasn't even an option. I was rendered helpless by fits of hysterical laughter, which were only made more uncontrollable by the jaw-dropped expression on the Photopass photographer's face

Of course I handle these sort of incidents fairly well, as long as they are not in bad taste - after all, my very own daughter is excellent at photobombing my own photos so I have to just learn to deal with it. I didn't even see her through the viewfinder suddenly appear in the background; I was too busy setting and focusing my camera


Photobombed! by 2Tiggies, on Flickr

 

[AlohaAnnie]

You have to have a good laugh! I think it is hilarious !

Life is stressful - laughter helps relieve that stress.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Colleen27]

I was in Florence and a group of older people were sitting in an outdoor cafe - 4 at the table and one taking the picture. Just behind them was a huge street with 100s of tourists walking past. They are just about on the curb.

As I walked by, I turned, smiled and waved at the camera. Never stopped, just walked past along the street but turned and faced them. I turned back and continued walking. My wife watched them and they got all kinds of angry, pointing at me all flustered as I continued walking.

TOO BAD. And pathetic that someone walking by and smiling becomes such a low point in their day.

If a photographer can't take the time to find a space clear of people, then they will get people in their shot and people are free to make faces. I'm not a paid extra in their little photographic masterpiece - its a snapshot for goodness sakes. They should take another. And another. And then a zanex. And then they should lighten up about the world owing them a perfect shot, and enjoy a funny smile or nose pick in one out of 500 pics. It isn't rude at all, it is me enjoying my time in a public place without any harm to the picture takers.

Am I a jerk? Some might say that. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed Florence.

In that situation, I'd be firmly on the "laugh it off" bench. I took my DD11 to her first concert this past summer, Jimmy Buffet at a huge venue, and there were some REALLY funny pirate and parrot photobombers that found their way into our pictures of the event. That sort of thing just adds to the character of the shot and captures the memories IMO, and though it isn't something I'd do it isn't worth getting upset/worked up over.

But I see Photopass differently for a couple of reasons - First of all, that CD ain't cheap! If I'm paying $100+ for photos I'm going to be less laid-back about the finished product than if I'm just walking around snapping pics on my own camera. And second, because the PP photogs are in fixed locations they seem to draw a lot of these jokers. I take between 1000-1500 photos on each trip and might see a half-dozen with someone who looks like they're deliberately involving themselves in the shot (even in the smile-and-wave sense). There were about a dozen in our last batch of 70-odd PhotoPass shots, including a couple that were more rude than funny.

 

[chartle]

Surprised no one has brought the all time greatest Photo Bomb.

http://www.gadling.com/2010/06/09/walt-disney-world-vacation-photo-c/

Imagine your own future FIL photo bombing you. 20 years before the word was even coined.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

I was in Florence and a group of older people were sitting in an outdoor cafe - 4 at the table and one taking the picture. Just behind them was a huge street with 100s of tourists walking past. They are just about on the curb.

As I walked by, I turned, smiled and waved at the camera. Never stopped, just walked past along the street but turned and faced them. I turned back and continued walking. My wife watched them and they got all kinds of angry, pointing at me all flustered as I continued walking.

TOO BAD. And pathetic that someone walking by and smiling becomes such a low point in their day.

If a photographer can't take the time to find a space clear of people, then they will get people in their shot and people are free to make faces. I'm not a paid extra in their little photographic masterpiece - its a snapshot for goodness sakes. They should take another. And another. And then a zanex. And then they should lighten up about the world owing them a perfect shot, and enjoy a funny smile or nose pick in one out of 500 pics. It isn't rude at all, it is me enjoying my time in a public place without any harm to the picture takers.

Am I a jerk? Some might say that. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed Florence.

Are you so starved for attention that you must insert yourself into other people's pictures? While I don't have a problem with what you described, it is NOT my place to inject my sense of humor into someone else's life. I have no idea what's going on in people's lives, so I don't expect everyone to adhere to my behavior. This may be the last trip as a family. This may be the first trip after someone has passed away. There are a million different scenarios that I could describe. My point is that I don't have a right to intentionally interfere with their vacation. Saying that someone needs to lighten up is just a way to shift blame.

 

[minnie mum]

I was in Florence and a group of older people were sitting in an outdoor cafe - 4 at the table and one taking the picture. Just behind them was a huge street with 100s of tourists walking past. They are just about on the curb.

As I walked by, I turned, smiled and waved at the camera. Never stopped, just walked past along the street but turned and faced them. I turned back and continued walking. My wife watched them and they got all kinds of angry, pointing at me all flustered as I continued walking.

TOO BAD. And pathetic that someone walking by and smiling becomes such a low point in their day.

If a photographer can't take the time to find a space clear of people, then they will get people in their shot and people are free to make faces. I'm not a paid extra in their little photographic masterpiece - its a snapshot for goodness sakes. They should take another. And another. And then a zanex. And then they should lighten up about the world owing them a perfect shot, and enjoy a funny smile or nose pick in one out of 500 pics. It isn't rude at all, it is me enjoying my time in a public place without any harm to the picture takers.

Am I a jerk? Some might say that. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed Florence.

I highly doubt that in the situation you describe, that the photographer required a shot that was clear of people. All that he required was that people not deliberately insert themselves into the shot. Background passersby were not going to affect the outcome of the photo. Waving your hand, smiling and making eye contact with the camera was an act that deliberately insinuated yourself into a moment in which you had not been included. You have no knowledge of the context of that particular group. It could have had a very significant meaning for them, and not necessarily a happy or frivolous one.

Yes, they no doubt could, and did, take a few more 'insurance' photos. The fact that they had to do this is your fault. What you did was poor manners at someone else's expense.

 

[ttintagel]

Waving your hand, smiling and making eye contact with the camera was an act that deliberately insinuated yourself into a moment in which you had not been included.

I don't see how someone can NOT be included in the picture when they're in the camera's field of vision.

 

[minnie mum]

I don't see how someone can NOT be included in the picture when they're in the camera's field of vision.

It's not the same thing and I think I made the point in my other post. There is a big difference between being 'background clutter' and focusing attention on yourself by your actions.

 

[ttintagel]

It's not the same thing and I think I made the point in my other post. There is a big difference between being 'background clutter' and focusing attention on yourself by your actions.

The way I see it is, if someone points his camera at me, he gets me as he finds me. And I'm in charge of how he finds me. He chooses where he points his camera, and I choose how I look.

 

[jayandstacey]

I highly doubt that in the situation you describe, that the photographer required a shot that was clear of people. All that he required was that people not deliberately insert themselves into the shot. Background passersby were not going to affect the outcome of the photo. Waving your hand, smiling and making eye contact with the camera was an act that deliberately insinuated yourself into a moment in which you had not been included. You have no knowledge of the context of that particular group. It could have had a very significant meaning for them, and not necessarily a happy or frivolous one.

Yes, they no doubt could, and did, take a few more 'insurance' photos. The fact that they had to do this is your fault. What you did was poor manners at someone else's expense.

Maybe they were all going to the electric chair that night. Who cares?

Why does that fact mean I can't turn and smile and wave at someone? Their "requirement" constitutes no requirement for me. Why do they have the right to limit my actions?

So they gave me a stern look. 90% would smile and wave back. Either way, life goes on and there was no 'expense' to anyone.

Sorry, I'm not going to stop smiling and waving.

 

[jayandstacey]

Are you so starved for attention that you must insert yourself into other people's pictures? While I don't have a problem with what you described, it is NOT my place to inject my sense of humor into someone else's life. I have no idea what's going on in people's lives, so I don't expect everyone to adhere to my behavior. This may be the last trip as a family. This may be the first trip after someone has passed away. There are a million different scenarios that I could describe. My point is that I don't have a right to intentionally interfere with their vacation. Saying that someone needs to lighten up is just a way to shift blame.

Then shift blame I shall!

If things are so somber, maybe a dark basement would be a better place for them.

I'm on the street with 10,000 other happy-go-lucky tourists, and these sad people kind of ruined about 10 minutes of my wife's day. (it didn't really impact me...) They were staring at her with a mean look - it was kind of threatening, and that's nearly illegal. What right did they have to look at my wife, inject themselves into her life and disrupt her current state of mind?

I'm kind of glad we had this conversation. I've only photobombed, I dunno, maybe 2 or 3 times - but now I'll look for it more often.

It isnt the attention I crave, it is sending people who are so self-centered into 'tilt' that is the enjoyable part. I didn't realize people had such expectations of passers-by. I think it says a lot about society.

Back in Florence, it was just being happy, smiling and waving.

 

[CathrynRose]

The way I see it is, if someone points his camera at me, he gets me as he finds me. And I'm in charge of how he finds me. He chooses where he points his camera, and I choose how I look.

Lololol!!!!

 

[melancholywings]

I kind of feel people who block traffic in high traffic areas for an extended period of time are just asking to be photo bombed. We went to a very crowded museum this weekend and there was this couple who thought they had the right to hold up traffic at the exhibits so that they could spend several minutes taking pictures. It's rude. Snap a picture and move on....

 

[Brian_WDW74]

Since this thread isn't really about theme park planning, I've moved it to the Theme Parks Community board.

 

[jayandstacey]

Are you so starved for attention that you must insert yourself into other people's pictures? While I don't have a problem with what you described, it is NOT my place to inject my sense of humor into someone else's life. I have no idea what's going on in people's lives, so I don't expect everyone to adhere to my behavior. This may be the last trip as a family. This may be the first trip after someone has passed away. There are a million different scenarios that I could describe. My point is that I don't have a right to intentionally interfere with their vacation. Saying that someone needs to lighten up is just a way to shift blame.

As a side note - I was in Italy as I took my mother there as a present for her retirement.

A few years ago I wanted to take both my Mom and Dad as he was about 6 months from retirement. He was then diagnosed with cancer and ended up retiring a bit early because he couldn't work. He died a few weeks later, barely visiting his backyard, let alone Europe. He never enjoyed the retirement he worked all his life for.

So I then had a deal on the table for my Mom in a bid to talk her into retiring while she could still enjoy it: retire and I'll take you to Europe for two weeks. She finally picked a retirement date and 6 days later we were on the plane.

We would have all loved my Dad to go. He sang in the church choir and would have loved the impromtu choral performance by high schoolers we enjoyed in a small Florentine chapel...he would have loved the architecture and Venice and the food and the wine.

He would have smiled and waved. And not always to the cameras we owned. He was kind of goofy that way.

So can I assume that these circumstances allow ME to smile and wave as I was on one of the scenarios you've listed? Or is the rule to "yield to the most somber'? When does their circumstance trump mine or vice versa?

I propose a better rule of thumb - if you take a picture around me in a public place, you risk me being in it with a smile and a wave. Don't want me to smile and wave? Go find a different place, wait for me to walk on or put the camera away. Or smile and wave back, then take the picture.

 

[jayandstacey]

Since this thread isn't really about theme park planning, I've moved it to the Theme Parks Community board.

Kind of like photobombing the thread

 

[luvthemouse71]

The post above yours has a mug with "Disney Drunk" on it. And ironically, that person doesn't care about ruining someone else's picture.

Yep, that's me.. Actually, I have photo bombed someone twice in my life and both times those were relatives.

Looking forward to expanding my photo bombing horizons on my next trip..

And honestly, even if it is someone's first trip after someone passes away etc, we all have lost family members at one point or another. You have to move on, and not expect total strangers to really care about that.

 

[luvthemouse71]

And it's up to you to decide just who needs a nice photo in front of the castle and who needs a photo bomb and what constitutes a good photo?

Just because YOU have been to Disney a number of times and had photos in front of the castle does not mean everyone taking a photo there has. What you say really just sounds justification to have a little fun at someone else's expense.

There was an another thread about this a while back and I was really just shocked at how many people think it's ok to do this on purpose and come away from it thinking they're just darn cute and everyone else in the world should just lighten up.

And yes, I do get it. It's a public place. But there's a HUGE difference between someone accidentally ending up in your photo and someone purposely setting out to put their own personal stamp on your treasured photos.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. At the end of the day, I don't think this is a big deal. You may think I'm rude. You are entitled to your opinion. I am entitled to not care about your opinion.

It's all good.

 

[KapBoy77]

Just for the record I kinda hope I get photo bombed a couple of times this next trip! lol

If there is a "perfect" picture that I really want I'll just have to try and make sure the coast is clear. If not oh well... one life to live so I really can't sweat the small stuff.

I on the other hand will usually not go out of my way to photo bomb someone (unless they are family and friends) but if I happen to end up in one of your photos whilst picking my nose I swear I thought no one was watching.