One family had an unexpected photobomb during their trip to the national capital.
On Tuesday, April 1, Portia Moore, the mother of son Preston and daughter Belle, posted an Instagram photo of her two children posing with the cherry blossoms on Washington D.C.’s Tidal Basin on Monday, March 31.
But after photographer Briana Inell snapped the photo, Portia realized that former President Barack Obama was in the background of their photos. “It was perfect,” Portia told NBC 4.
She explained that she was watching her children as Inell captured the shot. “Of course, I’m paying attention to my son, making sure he doesn’t run into the water. He’s 20 months old,” she said. But then her husband pointed out that the former president was walking by.
“I didn’t know what he was saying. I was like, ‘Yeah, whatever. I’m looking at Preston right now,’ ” Portia recalled. But once she had Preston back in her arms, she asked her husband, “ ‘What did you just say?’ ”
“That’s Obama!” he replied.
Portia then asked whether or not they got a photo of Obama in the background. “We went to the photographer and she scrolled back and were like, ‘We got it!’ ” Portia said.
President Barack Obama Monday, March 31, 2025 Instagram post.
Barack Obama/instagram
“Usually, I’m editing all of the tourists out of the backgrounds for all my clients anyways, but this is the one photo that I won’t be editing out this person,” Inell told NBC 4.
Inell also added the photos to her Instagram on Tuesday, detailing the happenstance from her perspective. She noted that she “can’t wait for next year’s cherry blossom season!”
Moore confirmed to NBC 4 that the adorable photo will definitely be used for their Christmas card, and joked directly to Obama, “Come for next year’s shoot. Same place, same time, same date. We’ll be here.”
President Barack Obama Monday, March 31, 2025 Instagram post.
Barack Obama/instagram
Portia then uploaded the photo of her children — and Obama — to her Instagram account, and it quickly went viral. “This story is one to remember and the picture is a family heirloom (literally). And nope, we did not bother him on his much needed peaceful stroll,” she wrote in the caption. “Thank you @barackobama 🫶🏽.”
The former president then commented and apologized for getting in their picture. “Preston and Belle, I hope you enjoyed peak bloom! My bad for stepping into the shot,” he wrote. He also posted the photo to his Instagram Stories, and wrote the comment in his Stories too.
President Barack Obama Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Instagram cpmment.
Barack Obama/instagram
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Along with appearing in the photos, Obama shared his own photos from his visit to the Tidal Basin on Monday, March 31.
He added two photos of the cherry blossoms in peak bloom with the sun shining in the background. “It’s fun to be able to play tourist once in a while,” he wrote in the Instagram caption. “The cherry blossoms were beautiful this morning!”
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