Sneak Attack Snaps: 40+ Perfectly Timed Photobombs

By Farah J

When you ask your friend to take a picture of you, you probably remind them to “make you look pretty.” We all do that—there is nothing wrong with wanting to have good memories of that day on your phone. You strike a pose and make sure that you’re the star of the show!

You also likely make sure your background is clear of anything that could ruin the picture. However, sometimes, your background takes the spotlight right from under your nose! It may be an animal or even a stranger in a public place who decides to photobomb at the very last second. These uproarious photos with hilarious backgrounds left us howling with laughter. So, buckle up; you’re in for a fun ride!

Holy ground

When you’re out on a trip to visit the beautiful architecture, make sure that you don’t forget to take a picture posing in front of the entrance before you go explore the inside. It is almost an obligation to take as many pictures of yourself as you can when you’re slaying in your outfit!

Image Source: rhodahxo/twitter

One thing that almost always ruins your entrance photos is the odd passersby. But in this case, the kid is the whole mood! It was a “give it your all or nothing” moment for him, and he completely aced it. This kid is going places; we’re telling you!

Photo-balls

Greece is one of the most intriguing and magnificent historical countries. If you are a travel lover, you know that there is no country like Greece. Every spot is a tourist spot, and you’ll never run out of scenic backgrounds for pictures.

Image Source: pomolore/reddit

Except, by the looks of it, these tourists were having a bit of bad luck that day when it came to their photo shoots. They were in for a hilarious shock when they went through their pictures later. That man looks like he’s having a “ball!”

I’m here too!

Horses are such magnificent creatures. They are one of the most loyal friends of humans and gorgeous ones at that! If you’ve ever owned a horse, you’d know that they have no “bad angle”—try not to swoon while taking their picture!

Image Source: sowing-seas0n/reddit

But if you are in a stable with other farm animals, your photogenic horse would most likely be photobombed, like in this case. The baby donkey can barely look over the wooden door, yet he made the picture a whole lot better!

A cute sea monster

Sea diving is no easy job. You see countless monstrous sea creatures and swim in terrifying, endless darkness. Okay, fine, we might have exaggerated a little. Sea creatures don’t always include the man-eating kind. There are several friendly ones, too, which just swim around and even let you pet them!

Image Source: Drown_In_The_Void/reddit

This sea diver was photobombed by a sea lion when he was trying to take a memorable selfie in the deep abyss of water. The little, friendly sea monster posed like it was about to crunch the diver’s head in its mouth—a perfect photobomb!

No pigtails. Just cat-tails  

Owning a cat is no easy job. You see it lurking everywhere like a sneaky little witch. Being a cat owner comes with a price: Your gallery will be full of pictures of your cat photobombing somewhere in the frame. This is, however, a price we don’t mind paying.

Image Source: ascendantofrain/reddit

This parent tried to capture a cute moment of their baby in tiny pigtails. Only later did they notice that the baby had an “extra” pigtail on her head in the picture! They probably burst into a fit of laughter when they zoomed in and realized it was their cat.

Caught red-handed 

Online shoppers will be able to relate to this picture without even reading the caption. We know we do! When you splurge on random cute items on Amazon, it’s common practice to ask the delivery guy to hide it somewhere on the porch when we aren’t at home to receive it.

Image Source: J_leo3/reddit

Well, sometimes, the delivery person isn’t the smartest, the most creative, or the most interested. This person must have laughed when they returned home and saw their package “hidden.” The look on the cat’s face in the picture made it funnier—she knows her owner’s secret!

Cuteness overload

Venice is a beautiful place to stop in if you’re traveling around Europe. Whether you are at some specific tourist spot or some local street with a canal flowing under the bridge, you’ll find yourself taking pictures everywhere you go!

Image Source: julianignaciopr/reddit

These tourists stopped on a bridge to take pictures of the flowing canal below because it was such a beautiful view. They probably didn’t realize it at first, but some cute local little boy photobombed their picture with a peace sign and the cutest of smiles. He made the picture more wholesome!

Two kinds of dogs

If you have more than one pet dog at home, chances are one is quiet and innocent, and the other is the complete opposite of that. Just like two siblings: One is shy and sweet, and the other is hyperactive. One would sit still for a picture, while the other would do something to ruin it for the other.

Image Source: ilikemountaingoats/reddit

These two dogs are the exact depiction of “there are two kinds of dogs” memes! One would never fail to photobomb when the picture is being taken. This picture looks like it was taken seconds before an actual fight between the two dogs!

Help!

Keeping a natural pair of enemies in your house as pets requires an extra set of eyes, ears, and alertness. The “predator” of the two is always finding ways to get their claws on the “prey” when you’re not around. Keeping a cat and a hamster/mouse in the same space, for example, isn’t very smart.

Image Source: always_ask_why/reddit

In our experience, the cat always lurks somewhere around the poor hamster’s cage, thinking of ways to get in. This person was accidentally able to capture the tension between the two. You can even see the fear in the poor little hamster’s eyes!

We’re everywhere

Taking pictures in your house without any of your cats in the frame when you’ve got more cats than your family members is almost impossible. When we say they’re everywhere, believe us. They are everywhere you go, stalking you with their eyes.

Image Source: MyCatIsFamous/reddit

This person tried taking a picture of one of their cats standing by the protective railing of the staircase, and two of the others decided to pop out like the sneaky animals they were! First, you see one, then the other lounging lazily, then finally, the third’s head creepily peeking out of nowhere.

Hooman, don’t ruin my picture!

We have established by now how sneaky cats can be. They appear in weird places out of nowhere, unexpectedly. One moment you think you’re alone; the next, you see a cat slip past or photobomb your picture without you even noticing!

Image Source: YourQuirk/reddit

This person, too, had the same experience. They went into the wilds, saw a beautiful spot for a photoshoot, and started setting up their camera. Seeing the pictures later made them acknowledge a cat in the background sneering at them!

Feed the Kraken!

When you’re at a fancy buffet with your family or partner, you tend to capture a few pictures for the sake of memories. Since you’re not alone there, you may find strangers in the background of your pictures, and well, not all of them pass by, ignoring your presence by the food aisle.

Image Source: imgur.com/imgur

Taking a picture by the food aisle may capture some mocking faces, like this lady in the background. We aren’t sure if she’s being rude or plain funny by making that silly face in the camera, but the photo bomb is quite hilarious, seeing the context. Feed the hungry Kraken, please!

Slurp buddies

Going to a café to get Slurpees with your child is a great way to reward them for their achievements or to spend quality time with them after school. And well, as a parent, you’re naturally bound to fill your gallery with your kids’ pictures and videos.

Image Source: VRbattleGod/reddit

This parent did the same: capture a memorable time with their son while drinking Slurpee. Little did they know that a cute old man behind their son photobombed the picture out of nowhere while also sipping on a Slurpee. A cute photo with a cuter background!

Road trip excitement

If ‘excitement’ was a picture, this would be it! Road trips are always fun with the family, and bringing your dog along makes the trip even more fun and interesting. Dogs express excitement like no one else; their cheeky, floppy-eared faces tell a lot.

Image Source: Mistylouwho3017/reddit

This dog stole the spotlight of the mini family picture without even trying. The mother was taking a selfie with her son, thinking that it was just the two of them, when suddenly the dog gave an excited bark and joined in. We love how genuine every smile in this picture is.

Say cheese

We all know the drill: if you want to make your partner happy, take them anywhere there’s food! Odds are, you’ll see the widest smile on their faces, ear-to-ear, cheesy smiles that we can’t help but capture in our phones forever.

Image Source: FatKeystone/imgur

But sometimes, your partner’s pretty face is dulled by what’s happening in the background of the picture. Especially if there are kids in a booth next to you, chances are you’re going to see their noses squeaking down the booth separator in your pictures’ background!

Oldie made it golden. 

Whether it’s a casual hangout with friends or a reunion with high school buddies, pictures are a must. Some don’t like taking pictures in order to spend more time with friends and away from technology. Others prefer to save memories on their phones by capturing random moments.

Image Source: _trebeccapaisley/Instagram

These friends were posing for a picture while clearly oblivious to their background, and they captured this cute moment between the two of them. However, the old man in the background grabbed the spotlight and directed it at himself. He turned the picture into gold!

Chipmunk-ing 

There are few words to describe the level of frustration you feel when you are taking a family picture and someone comes into the frame, sits down, and ruins it. Some would angrily shoo away the intruder; some would playfully invite them to be in a few extra pics.

Image Source: johnliberman41/reddit

Well, the latter is more likely to happen when the intruder is a cute, fluffy little chipmunk! This family put their camera on a timer and got ready for a perfect family photo, but this chipmunk photobombed in the middle, and their photos came out even more memorable!

Real-life Pennywise

Who doesn’t live for taking pictures of and with the partner they love? We all look for reasons to capture random moments with our sweethearts. Making memories and looking back on them later in a slideshow is our favorite pastime!

Image Source: V_for_VinceVega/reddit

You make sure to take lovely pictures with your partner when you go out on dates. But the last thing you’d expect to see photobombing your pictures is real-life Pennywise from IT! The man in the background made the picture look scary and funny at the same time!

Little T-Rex roar 

This is the era when dinosaur movies have invaded children’s minds, and every child is interested in dinosaur species and how they roar! Even when you go to museums to admire the dinosaurs’ skulls and bones, there is a good chance that you’d hear some kid imitating a dinosaur somewhere.

Image Source: punkonater/reddit

This woman experienced the same: she was taking a picture of a huge T-rex skull when her picture was photobombed by a kid roaring from behind the glass. The T-rex skull was made ten times more fun than it originally was by that cheeky kid!

That’s my human! 

If you’re a pet owner, you most likely would have witnessed your pet feeling envious of your new partner, a friend that you brought home, or even another pet that you just adopted. Pets feel a certain sense of attachment to their person.

Image Source: GlitteringPresent/reddit

When they see some other person sharing (stealing!) it, they become possessive. This dog looks like it’s about to mark its territory and doesn’t approve of its human’s engagement with someone else! The dog’s photobomb is the gold star in the engagement pictures. 

Jealous pet

Cats are notoriously possessive of their humans and don’t like it when their human brings another animal to cuddle with. Envy in pets is real when their love is divided and shared with someone else. It can be seen in their eyes.

Image Source: Missmayo/reddit

For example, this person shared a picture of their new pet puppy. The cat looks quite jealous of the little addition to the family. If looks could kill, this cat would shoot lasers from its eyes! Do not leave a knife in this cat’s range!

Two kinds of people at a club 

You will find two types of people at the club: Those who look glamorous in fancy outfits with nice, dark makeup, with hair all done, and those who, well, look out of their mojo. They’re so high on the music (and maybe some other stuff, too) that they’re “in the zone.”

Image Source: dafrisco/reddit

The person who took the picture is clearly the former type of person, and she was photobombed by someone who belongs to the latter category! If it wasn’t for the girl in the foreground, this picture would’ve passed into the trash. But luckily, we got gold!

And pose!

When you travel to Arab countries, you get to see lands full of camels—the upside to traveling in boiling-hot climates. Camels are one of the cutest animals out there, not to mention the friendliest! They connect with humans quite easily.

Image Source: Spirited_Let3893/reddit

This traveler tried taking a selfie with a herd of camels in the background when his spotlight was snatched by a camel nearby! The camel posed beautifully at the very last moment, and here we go! We have a shot that upgraded this selfie to a ten out of ten!

Creepy

When someone’s taking a picture of themselves, you do one of three things: You can get out of the way completely, photobomb as hilariously as you can, or you can jump to the middle ground, i.e., face straight ahead and look in their direction curiously.

Image Source: busse1994/reddit

Well, the former two seem pretty tame; it’s all fun and games as long as no one is getting hurt in the process. The middle ground is where the guy in the background decided to land, and now he looks like the country’s most wanted criminal. No judgments, though!

Cuddle reminder 

Ever since the pandemic happened and the trend to work from home started, the number of pictures and videos of people’s pets entering the “no entry: zoom class” room are countless and have spread all over the internet. Pets’ photobombing pictures quickly became a meme!

Image Source: johnneh/twitter

This YouTuber shared his hilarious interaction with his pet dog while he was live streaming on the app. The dog looks like he’s giving his human a gentle reminder of the cuddle they’ve scheduled at four! The human’s live stream was suddenly more interesting! 

Chappelle’s style

Everyone dreams of being photobombed by a celebrity, especially if it’s one of their favorites. We’ve seen people bump into a celebrity in the most unexpected places. For example, a little girl’s photoshoot was photobombed by Taylor Swift once in a park!

Image Source: kvnf7/reddit

Similarly, this couple’s wedding was photobombed by Dave Chappelle, the beloved comedian! No one would mind Chappelle’s photobombing—that’s how much his fans adore him. Only he can do that: Be in the background of a random wedding uninvited but still loved!

Third-wheeling

When you travel to a place near the seaside, bathing in the water is a must! Beaches are usually packed with tourists as well as locals in summer as they bathe in the water to cool off the heat. And sometimes, you make new friends there too!

Image Source: kebulatr/reddit

Don’t think that we only mean humans when we say “friends;” sometimes, you meet friendly sea creatures too! This couple met a cute stingray in the water while they were on their vacation, and it decided to be the third wheel and photobombed them from behind!

Wedding dump

Pet owners never hold a wedding without their pet invited—there’s no event without the dog! In addition to their partners and family, people often choose to take professional photos with their pets. Well, the pet is a part of the family, so why not?

Image Source: Cazamato/reddit

You may look as glamorous as possible, as this groom does, but your dog taking a dump in the background would leave your glamor in the dark. The wedding dump became the highlight of this photo shoot; we’re sure of that.

The odd one out

When we think of the word “cuteness,” the first image that pops up in our brains is of baby animals. Kittens have a special place in our hearts, and nothing can replace that. Adopting one kitten leads to adopting two more, and then more follow.

Image Source: QuestionSleep/reddit

This person brought home a new pair of kittens, and it suffices to say that the first kitten was not glad about that decision. When they were taking pictures of the newcomers, the little black floof photobombed the picture without remorse!

Give me your soul

Taking kids outside to teach them about nature and its wonders is something you need to do if you aspire to be a good parent to your kids. For example, take them to the greenhouse when you go to buy new plants, and go camping with them once in a while.

Image Source: AgentElsewhere/reddit

Even though a nursery is a cool place to spend time with your child when searching for a new plant, the old lady peeking from behind the duo creeped us out a little too much to go in there! As hilarious as it is, the facial expressions of the old lady look no less than scary!

Strangers to lovers

Making silly faces from behind when someone’s trying to take a picture has always left us crying with laughter! We aspire to have the confidence and good vibes of those photo-bombers. Music festivals are an especially good time for photobombing because of the relaxed atmosphere.

Image Source: synystercarnage/reddit

For example, this person went to a fair in 2016 and took his favorite picture to this day: A girl had the guts to come up from behind and take a selfie with a stranger—photobomb it, actually—and move on with her life. Strangers to virtual lovers!

Picture perfect 

Dogs love it when you fish out your phone to take pictures! Whether you’re taking your selfie or your kids’ pictures, dogs love to be in the spotlight. And well, they never fail in their mission of stealing the show from you!

Image Source: Blakecn1/reddit

This parent was trying to take their nephew’s pictures with his new friends when their dog excitedly jumped in front of the camera and became the foreground of the pictures. The howling in the second picture is what we all live for! 

Llama on the top

Optical illusions are the best photobombs of all time. We bet you have seen pictures where people try to “catch” the Tower of Pisa or where a person in the background looks like a man bun on the head of the man in the foreground.

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You know what we’re talking about, and it’s hilarious how we have all been there. We should add this sweet-yet-funny picture to that list: A llama that looks like it’s balancing on the top of the kid’s head! The kid was supposed to be the main character, but the llama made a brilliant addition.

Iron man as a time traveler

Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and time traveler! If you want to debate how time traveling isn’t real, how do you explain Iron Man in a Renaissance Masquerade Ball? We won’t hear any illogical statement that starts with, “That is not Iron Man.”

Image Source: oshika789/reddit

Imagine being at a masquerade ball and seeing everyone in a Renaissance theme outfit. How cool is that, first of all? Take your picture in the crowd, and suddenly you’re photobombed by the great man himself! Our admiration for this guy is through the roof!

Best friend’s sole purpose

If your best friend doesn’t ruin your engagement or photobomb any of your photoshoots, are they really your best friend? And if they try to serve you with their sole purpose on this earth as your best friend, and you don’t let them, well, you don’t deserve such friendship.

Image Source: IamRiston/twitter

Take notes from a man who did everything in his power to photobomb his best friend’s photoshoot with his partner! This photobomb clearly took the photoshoot to another level of awesome! We all deserve such a show of support from our friends.

Poor Piglet

Have you ever felt like Piglet? We have, and let us tell you, it’s not a very heartwarming feeling. We empathize with the poor dearie; we love you, Piglet. Don’t worry; we like you too, Tigger, but the least you could do was include your best friend in the group photo.

Image Source: laurennmun/twitter

Piglet had the support of almost the whole world after this picture got circulated on the internet. It suffices to say that Piglet’s sob story touched hearts, and he became the highlight of this picture forevermore! Looks like he got the last laugh.

Big photobomb

Wedding photos are a dream that no one likes to spoil. These are the memories that most people like to keep with them forever. Sometimes, even the next generation keeps the whole album of their parents’ and grandparents’ wedding ceremony!

Image Source: crimsoncat11/twitter

But what good are the photos if your best friends are photobombing them with their ridiculousness? That’s what best friends are for: Ruining the perfect moments and making them even more perfect and hilarious. This man didn’t forget his job and aimed for a “big” photo bomb!

That’s my box! 

Cat owners agree with us on this: Cats love boxes more than they like their humans. They do! No matter how fancy and expensive the towers that you buy for them are, they’re always going to prefer cardboard boxes, even if they are broken.

Image Source: SushiCupcake1216/reddit

And when you have two cats but one box, well, you get a photo like this one. First come, first serve it is! The other cat either gets jealous and angry, and a fight commences, or they do the silent, scary stare until the first cat jumps out of the box! 

Whatcha doin’ ova’ there? 

You can tell by the looks on that woman in the back that she’s thinking something along the lines of, “what are you doing over there, people?” The facial expression of that woman had us rolling over the floor—no one could’ve done it better!

Image Source: jenniferbecksted/Instagram

What did she think this trio was doing in front of the stadium? To be honest, it takes a heck of a lot of confidence to stand in front of a crowd and take selfies. These three don’t mind people staring at them or anything. The woman behind them killed the show, though!

Harry Styles being Harry Styles 

Meeting a rockstar celebrity and getting photobombed by another…could there be any luckier guy than this one? We dream of this day when we meet, let’s say, Taylor Swift and get photobombed by Selena Gomez! We’d call it “the day the earth stood still.”

Image Source: ifornolan/reddit

This guy met Jason from the rock band called Letlive, and while he was taking a picture with him, Harry Styles, a singer and an ex-member of the band One Direction, photobombed from behind in the most, shall we say, “Harry style!”

A cry for help

Who else finds it hilarious when you’re cheekily smiling into the camera while posing in front of some of your favorite things, and someone decides to photobomb you in the most throat-splitting way possible? We do, at least eventually. Maybe not in the moment.

Image Source: Duderina/reddit

You might take a while to see the photobomb in this picture, and when you do, you’ll burst into ear-splitting laughter just like that woman in the background who looks like she’s giving out the same ear-splitting cry for help!

Spotlight for two

This is a classic example of living with two or more dogs. You see your beautiful dog doing something cute or even simply existing; you instantly grab your camera and try to take a picture before “the moment” is over. 

Image Source: iamgurk/Instagram

Suddenly, as if on instinctive cue, another dog comes from behind and does a sneaky pose, too. The photobombing makes the picture just as memorable as it was originally supposed to be, except with an added dose of hilarity!

A hoooooman! 

Aquariums, we’ve heard, are a bore for quite a lot of people. However, others enjoy it to the core of their being. For some, it is their happy place to watch countless species of fish swim around in the bluest of water.

Image Source: Beko86/reddit

The fish photobombed this guy’s picture in the best way possible! This cute surprised fish looks like it’s calling its gang to see a live human! We’d love to give our spotlight to this fish. Do you still think aquariums are boring?

Attention seeker 

Cats can be pretty dramatic at times, especially when they aren’t given food or even the attention or cuddles they seek instantly. And when they see someone else getting them, cats just love to make drama. No wonder they call it a “hissy fit.”

Image Source: NakedKittyAlucard/reddit

If you don’t believe us, just look at this picture: this person tried taking a picture of their sun-kissed cat before they were too late. Except what they captured was a pretty posing cat in the foreground and an attention-seeker crying in the background!

Intense admiration

Have you ever admired someone’s art so much that you lose self-consciousness and don’t acknowledge what your facial expressions look like? Well, this man is just like you, then—eyes bulged open, clenched teeth, and a mind focused intently on the skill of the worker in the foreground.

Image Source: mckinley72/reddit

The admiration on his face speaks volumes about the artist and his abilities. He is so focused that this photobomb is more wholesome than it is hilarious. He reminded us how satisfying it is to see inspirational artists create magic!