Circa 1985 — Contrary to what people might think selfies are not a new phenomenon and were common enough at The Province newspaper when I was there to be banned by one news editor. Specifically it was the selfie taken by staff photographers when flying with the Snowbirds or the Blue Angels while the plane was upside down, landscape below, the face of the photographer in the foreground. We all took it anyway, making a print but not handing it in with the assignment, keeping it for ourselves. In my case the plane never flew upside down but the print was on the wall in our basement for some time and a visitor, when seeing it, asked if I was a pilot. I said no it was taken when flying with the Snowbirds. He said incredulously, “you flew with the Snowbirds?”. I looked back and was about to say, “sure, hasn’t everybody” but managed to stop myself. It was one of those moments when I was reminded just how different my job was from that of most people.
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