Guide to Photobombing

I had the honor to speak with a real life Photobomb master yesterday. After searching through a hundred of her best bombs, I asked her to write a How To Guide for photobombing to which she graciously agreed. Cherish these words from the champion herself.

The Art of Photobombing
By Kristen

Step 1: Location, location, location…

Find any events that are camera-friendly and GO! Special occasions, bars, graduations, parties, or weddings often ensure the presence of unnecessary photography and group photos.

Step 2: Be on the prowl…

Once you’ve arrived to your carefully selected gathering, start identifying your victims. Keep an eye out for the narcissistic girl that is really taking pictures to improve her Facebook profile default. Perhaps you’ll spot the good friend that loves capturing every moment of every party. A better find would be the slightly to highly intoxicated individual with a camera as he or she will eliminate Step 5. Keep in mind that many photobombs can result from bombers randomly seeing a camera aimed in their direction so be sure to watch for such spontaneous opportunities.

Step 3: Time to get ugly…

Once you have your victims in mind, start warming up your ugly side. You need to pull off your best work once you are staring into the light of a random camera behind a group of unknowns. As a warm-up, try moving every muscle possible in your face. Improve the number of chins you can form as well as the contrasting direction of your eyes (the more cock-eyed the better). Your mouth can be your best feature while photobombing; a creepy smile or a crooked, toothy formation can make all the difference. Additional factors include the angle of approach (90* angle bombs are far more effective than simply standing next to the group) and grasping the context of the intended picture i.e. a couples shot, B.F.F.s, or even grandparents. The more precious the intended picture, the more epic the photobomb.

Step 4: Get in, get out…

Once you’re warmed up and know your approach, be sure that you’re able to commit to any attempts. Once you see the camera, you have about 3 seconds to work your magic. Nail that horrendous expression, enter the frame awkwardly, and immediately return to your previous conversation or location. Time is of the essence. The longer you wait, the more likely the photographer will notice you and call you out. Trust me, you don’t want some middle-aged man to realize you’re about to destroy a picture of his loved ones. You will lose all chances for the rest of the night. Besides, the sooner you remove yourself from one bomb, the sooner you can do another.

Step 5: Prepare for feedback…

Congrats! You have successfully photobombed a seemingly wholesome moment. Things to expect:
-The photographer will keep an eye on you the rest of the night (unless he or she is the slightly to highly intoxicated person mentioned in Step 2; you’re safe) .
-If the photographer did not see you bomb, you will likely hear from him or her at a later time.
-If you bombed a friends picture, you will likely be harassed and called vulgar names for approximately 2 minutes.
-Finding tagged pictures of yourself on Facebook should someone recognize you (even if you don’t know the people in the picture).
-If everyone is chill, expect laughter. It’s hard to deny that this stuff is fun.

Good luck, fellow photobombers!

Now that you have the inside information make sure to treat yourself to some of her finest work.

Bomb On, Dear Kristen. Bomb On…

If you’re a fan of Kristen’s wild antics then be sure to check out Emplastro, the videobomb master of Portugal