What is a selfie?

At the beach, Le Touquet, Summer 2021.

What is a selfie?

In his book « Intuition Photographique », Arnaud Claass observes those who take selfies in Venice, Italy. These “self-focused photography-on-a-stick buffs, looking to reassure themselves that they’re still living the dream, and maybe to remember that they simply are”. Interesting. And, what if photography allowed us, in effect, to make sure that we are really living a dream? How many photos have I taken to convince myself of the magic of the moment? Taking a photo not only proves the existence of what we see, but also the fact that we were there. Whether we are in it or not, we’re in the shot. So, by this measure, isn’t every photo a selfie?