Isn't that Pia Zadora with spinach in her teeth?

Now that everyone carries a cell phone and 99.9999% of cell phones have a camera, what is appropriate camera etiquette when you encounter a celeb?

I'm not talking about skeevy snaps in locker rooms. Everybody's clear on that: Bad photographer! Bad!! Bad!!

What I mean is, DC is a city that always has famous and semi-famous people wandering around. And if they're in a parade or at a protest, sure, you snap their picture. But what if they're standing in a shop or enjoying a quiet dinner? Is it okay to snap them browsing or with Alfredo on their chin?

As someone who has actually practiced creating a pleasant visage in the mirror prior to events where I know I'll likely have my picture taken formally or candidly (weddings, bar mitzvahs,... ), I can appreciate that not every moment is an ideal photo op. Often I think I look just fine and then the photo comes back and there's the inevitable questions/comments: "What were you doing?", "Were you nauseous?", and, most recently, "Maybe you shouldn't have leaned in like that in that dress". I'm usually disappointed with photos of me. And if I'm going to be a photobomber I want to be intentional about it.*

So I guess my question is: Do you give up all rights to even a modicum of privacy when you sign the "Yes, I want to be a celebrity" papers?

*At our wedding, the photobomber was my youngest nephew. He was 6 at the time and in every single formal shot everyone is smiling except him--he's busy making a monkey face. My sister claims he was at that age when he didn't know what to do when the photographer said "smile!" I claim, at 6 you know the difference between a smile and a monkey face.