I am aware that the word 'Polaroid' has morphed from a brand name to something different; at least that is my impression.

IMHO, the word now is a catchphrase for any pic that seems 'raw' (not the digital file term, but stark and un-retouched). I see nothing wrong with this, necessarily. I see pics that models have posted that were obviously shot digitally, and just have a polaroid look, either done as part of the shooting or in post.

Was wondering if the word has permeated fields such as editorial, fashion, etc., in the way that an agency would say, 'send us some polaroids' and they would see digital pics.

Again, nothing wrong with that, just wondering what people think when they here a polaroid. Even photographers on here who shoot on Instax call them polaroids on occasion.

Havn't heard it being used like that other than to mean that you are trying to recreate to look of an instant photo.

Hell, I hear people say "Let me shoot a Polaroid of that . . . ."
and then use their iPhone and apply an Instagram filter.

Hmm.  Polaroid means to me any company's instant film.

But the reality  is that some of the new Polaroid materials need to be developed in total darkness for at least 5 minutes. Nothing instant about that!!

When I think of the word "polaroid", I think of it in a way such as an agency requesting "polaroids" of a model. Not necessarilly an actual polaroid picture. I most often think of the term "polaroids" when referring to retouch-free/makeup-free/basic snapshots to show a model's features in the raw.
They might be film. They might be digital.
Examples.


That's what I think of personally, anyway.

As an old fart Polaroid means to me a real Polaroid picture. But nowadays a digital pics are instant. Back in the day I took tons of SX 70 sbots. Mostly to show the model what we were doing. I still have a lot of them lying around the house. I just now a days the equivalent is a mirror photo pic.

In many ways a cell phone is the new poloroid. You can take a pic and instantly see it, cell phones can also replicate the 'look' of actual poloroids.

Interestingly, impossible project are engineering a poloroid 'printer' for cell pics. You take the photo, display it on your cell phone, then take a picture of the image on the cell phone with your 'printer'.

Polaroids nowadays for an agency means an unretouched snap shot, headshot, fullbody and profile.  No or very little make-up.  No artificial lighting using a phone camera or point and shoot.

Kind of depends upon the context within which it is used.

Fauxlaroid?

This is a really confusing usage of "polaroid."

To make matters worse, I have (and use) one of the Polaroid digital cameras that makes instant prints.

I still here the term still used in fashion agencies and most don't actually want you to shoot Polaroids.  That we be fairly expensive these days