Technically speaking, photobombing is the act of inserting oneself into the field of view of a photograph, often in order to play a practical joke on the photographer or the subjects. It’s been known to get global exposure due to the internet and the abundance of snapshots by smartphone cameras and other hand-held devices. Continue reading to see more.
In discussing a “stingray photobomb” picture that went viral, Andrea DenHoed suggests that the photobomb label “implies a narrative of surreptitious sabotage,” although in the sense of unintended and/or initially unnoticed people in the background of spoiled photographs, photobombs have existed for much of the history of photography.