Patel shot

n. a candid photograph with a person in the foreground and a place or object of interest (such as a tourist destination or landmark) in the background. Subjects: English, India

Editorial Note: This term appears to be common among Anglophone Indians. The “Patel shot” as characterized in the 2001 and first 2004 citations is used by only a small number of closely associated filmmakers.

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Citations: 1993 [Prem] Usenet: soc.culture.indian (Nov. 24) “:-) Desi Romeos Guide Book—Fall 1993 Edition”: Carefully documents his summer vacation with the photooos taken in front of prominent landmarks, including uncle Chunnibhai’s motel in Bakersfield. These photoos are commonly referred to as “Patel-Shots.” His approach is not “u have to see to believe it,” it’s more like “look at this foto, yaar, I have been there” showing a patel shot. [2001 Meena Menon Business Line (Sept. 3) “Breaking a silence”: In a film, Sangham Shot, featuring the women of Zaheerabad mandal, Narsamma from Pastapur village, explains how in mainstream films, the camera looks down on rural people. She calls this the “Patel Shot.”] [2004 Meenakshi Shedde Times of India (Feb. 7) “Dalit women’s films bring drama to their lives”: A low angle shot looking up is a “Patel shot.”] 2004 Satyen Kale Satyen Kale @ Princeton U. (June 14) “San Diego-LA trip 001r”: Ok, here’s me with the Hollywood sign in the background—a “Patel shot,” as Indraneel calls it ;) 2005 Madhu Venkatesan Me, Myself and Madhu (Chicago, Illinois) (Jan. 18) “Patel shots and the mystery around it…”: Well here we go i decided to write something about patel shots. Well by definition this means that when you go to a new place you stand right in front of it and take a picture of yourself with “that thing’ at the back. by that thing i mean.. say you to agra you take a picture of yourself with the taj in the backdrop. Its one of the lamest ever photographs that one can take. Well i guess the word was coined by some english people who observed the patel families of india who did this. 2005 [Sunayana] TheEnchantedPileOfThatLonelyBird (Jan. 27) “Patel Shot”: Patel Shot.at Times Square. *2005 [N. Nachiappan (Nachi)] Nachi’s Home Page (Feb. 2) “Get-togethers in US”: Stopped in the middle of nowhere to have a photo-session near a lake, there you go, with all the patel shot (single guys looking for photos to send to brides with neat dress, bandha pose near car etc) guys becoming active.

Posted 2 Feb 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend