75 Philly Selfies You Have to See
We persuaded pro athletes, performers, and politicians — plus a Playmate! — to share their pics. (You’ll never look at the Geator the same way again.)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin rehearsing Leonard Bernstein’s Mass with the Westminster
Symphonic Choir of Princeton at the Kimmel Center, April 28, 2015.
It started as a social-media phenomenon: Grab a friend and your phone, make duck-faces, click and post. Then came the official dictionary definition, and an entire book of photos from Kim Kardashian (titled Selfish, of course). There’s no denying it, folks—we’re living in the Age of the Selfie. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The cameras we carry have turned us all into amateur documentarians, with even the goofiest snapshot exposing how we see ourselves and the rapidly changing world around us.
When we asked some of Philly’s most familiar faces to send us their selfies, we were blown away by the results—spontaneous, surprising, hilarious, intimate. Each portrait is revealing. But viewed together, the photos create a selfie of the city itself, and show us Philadelphians like you’ve never seen them before.
Lithe Method founder Lauren Boggi and friends.
Heather Mitts and A.J. Feeley with their son Connor on the Italian Riviera, August 20, 2014.
Jennifer Weiner with boyfriend Bill Syken at the Wilma Theater, April 22, 2015.
Left: Tom Wolf with wife Frances in Philadelphia, March 20, 2015. Right: Blondell Reynolds Brown at home in Wynnefield with daughter Brielle, Christmas Day 2014.
Left: John Bolaris in his Center City apartment overlooking the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, May 1, 2015. “God is on my side.” Right: Pennsylvania Ballet dancer Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck with her Havanese pup at home, choosing shoes to wear for a night out, March 24, 2015. “#photoBOMBbyCOCO”
Sharon Pinkenson with bestie Donna Livingston at the Beverly Hills Hotel, March 29, 2015.
Left: Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox, August 20, 2012. Right: WMMR’s Marisa Magnatta and Kathy Romano at the Preston and Steve sorority formal, April 9, 2015.
Left: Politician/documentarian Sam Katz with Pope Francis (okay, a cardboard cutout), April 24, 2015. Right: Street artist Kid Hazo with a sign he designed at 5th and Bainbridge streets, May 6, 2015.
Laurel owner/chef Nick Elmi driving with daughter Grace and son Wes, May 7, 2015.
Left: Restaurateurs Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney at their new restaurant, Bud & Marilyn’s, May 4, 2015. Right: Mike Missanelli, 97.5 The Fanatic host, with students at the Multi-Cultural Academy Charter School, April 24, 2015.
Left: Jen Utley, animal rights champion and wife of Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, April 28, 2015. Right: Chef/restaurateur Michael Solomonov after laser eye surgery, January 10, 2015.
Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright with faculty members Jack Doody and Dan Regan, May 1, 2015.
Left: 6 ABC’s Adam Joseph and Cecily Tynan at the Broad Street Run, May 3, 2015. Right: Chef/restaurateur Jose Garces with his son Andres, April 3, 2015.
Left: Former state senator Vince Fumo with his granddaughter Lila Rose, May 9, 2014. Right: Duross & Langel co-owner Steve Duross in his bathtub, April 22, 2015.
Democratic mayoral nominee Jim Kenney with state reps Dwight Evans and Cherelle Parker, May 2, 2015.
NBC 10 meteorologist Sheena Parveen at a Phillies game, May 14, 2015.
Left: Reader Selfie: Ryan Birchmeier “alone at LOVE Park again,” May 8, 2015. Right: Reader Selfie: Lauren Sammartino and Robyn Cartlidge with Tina Fey (sort of) as she autographs a fan t-shirt at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, August 16, 2014.
Left: Reader Selfie: Dana Clark and Shannan Healy on Broad Street near City Hall for a “sunny day with William,” May 7, 2015. Right: Mo’ne Davis at the Marian Anderson Rec Center in Grad Hospital, signing shoes from her sneaker collection to raise funds for Nepal earthquake relief, May 11, 2015.
Reader Selfie: Juliana Chapman on the roof of the Divine Lorraine Hotel, her favorite building in Philadelphia, January 11, 2014.
Philadelphia Zoo president/CEO Vik Dewan with eight-year-old male giraffe Gus, May 1, 2015.
Lee Daniels with his cousin Maryanne Phillips outside the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas on Lancaster Avenue, Easter Sunday 2015.
Left: Center City District president/CEO Paul Levy at 3rd and Pine streets, May 2, 2015. Right: Joel Embiid at the Sixers’ media day, September 29, 2014. “I’m Rihanna’s spirit animal.”
Left: Shawn Stockman, Boyz II Men. Right: Ann Gitter, Knit Wit.
Left: Elena Brennan, shoe boutique Bus Stop. Right: Justicia DeClue, Maha Yoga Studio.
Good Day Philadelphia’s Alex Holley, Sue Serio and Mike Jerrick.
Marshall Harris, Comcast SportsNet.
Left: City Council candidate Helen Gym. Right: Carl Dranoff, Dranoff Properties.
Left: Nicole Miller’s Mary Dougherty (top right of pic). Right: Al Jazeera America’s Ali Velshi and his wife, hedge fund manager Lori Wachs.
John DeBella in his home office waiting for his brother to FaceTime him, May 1, 2015.
Left: Congressman Bob Brady with great-granddaughter Scarlet. Right: Businessman Paul Steinke.
TV and radio host Michael Smerconish. Right: Fergie’s Pub’s Fergie Carey.
Mural Arts Program’s Jane Golden (center) with Michael and Hilda Bacon.
Left: Tech entrepreneur Bob Moul. Right: NINObrand’s Bela Shehu.
Allan Domb, City Council candidate.
Left: Andrew Auwerda of Philadelphia Distilling. Right: Philadelphia Union midfielder Maurice Edu.
Left: Lexie Norcross, PhillyVoice. Right: Scott Schroeder of South Philly Tap Room and American Sardine Bar.
Left: Jason Cichonski, the Gaslight and Ela, with his best friend’s nieces Ella and Addison. Right: Nicole Marquis, HipCityVeg.
Left: Maria Papadakis, media personality. Right: Beka Rendell of Styled Creative with Ed and Marjorie Rendell.
Left: Kelly Boyd, KB Consultants. Right: Darrell Clarke, City Council president.
Left: Geno Vento, Geno’s Steaks. Right: Amy Fadool, Comcast SportsNet, with son Sean.
Left: Jon Lyons, Run215, with daughter Eden (left) and her friend Jackie. Right: Philly Jesus (Michael Grant).
Left: Congressman Chaka Fattah. Right: Kevin Sbraga at a swimming lesson for his kids, Angelo and Jenae, in Mount Laurel, April 27, 2015.
Thomas Jefferson Health System’s Stephen Klasko.
MSC Retail’s Michael Salove with daughter Kendall.
Northeast Philly-born Playboy Playmate Val Keil waiting for an Uber at a vineyard in Malibu, April 27, 2015.
Pro surfer Rob Kelly.
Amy Gutmann with four graduating seniors on College Green, April 29, 2015.
Pat Croce and Todd Carmichael with Croce’s granddaughter Pascale at La Colombe in Fishtown, April 23, 2015.
Jerry Blavat on a Mexican vacation, September 6, 2012. (Not technically a selfie, but c’mon, we couldn’t resist.)
