In short
Modelling digitals show you as you are today, with no filters, retouching or heavy make-up.
Wear plain, fitted, neutral clothes and stand against a plain white or light wall in soft daylight.
Take headshots, profiles and full-length pictures from the front and side, once smiling and once neutral.
Update your digitals every couple of months, and straight away after a new haircut or any other change to your look.
Swimwear digitals may be asked for, but lingerie or nude pictures never should be.
Image: 22 IMPACT
Modelling digitals, often still called Polaroids or polas, are plain, unedited pictures of you as you look today: no styling, no filters, no retouching and little or no make-up. They are usually the first pictures an agency sees, and clients ask for them before they book. They are easy to take on a phone, and just as easy to get wrong.
This guide covers what digitals are, how to prepare, what to wear, the light and background to look for, the shots to take and how often to update them. There is a checklist at the end to run through before you start.
Digitals are raw, unedited pictures that give an agency or client an accurate view of how you look right now: your face, skin, hair and shape, with no styling and no make-up to speak of. They used to be shot on Polaroid film, which is why many people in the industry still call them Polaroids or polas. You will find both words, and more, in our guide to industry terms.
They do a different job from your portfolio:
Honest, not styled A portfolio shows what you can do on a shoot, while digitals show you with nothing added
Often the first step Sending digitals is often the very first step towards being signed by an agency
Used for bookings Once you are signed, clients often ask for recent digitals before they decide to book you
Separate from your comp card Keep them apart from comp cards and studio pictures, because they are meant to show the truth, not glamour
A bare-faced digital headshot
The aim is to look like yourself on a good day, not like yourself after a styling session.
Make-up Go bare-faced, or keep it so light it cannot be seen, with no glam
Hair Clean and natural, or very lightly styled, with no obvious updos
Nails Natural, or a natural polish colour, with no nail art
Grooming If you usually shave, be clean-shaven, unless your agent asks otherwise
Jewellery Wear little or none, as it pulls the eye away from you
The night before Sleep well and skip any skincare treatment that might leave redness
Clothes should show your shape clearly and then get out of the way. If your agency gives you wardrobe instructions, follow them. If not, this works:
Fitted basics A plain black tank top with black or dark blue skinny jeans or fitted leggings
Neutral colours Black, white and other neutrals, with no patterns, bright colours, logos or oversized pieces
Shoes Heels or flats, depending on what your agent asks for, and avoid wedges, which can make feet look clunky
Swimwear, if asked Agencies and clients sometimes ask for digitals in a plain swimsuit, so it helps to have one ready
One firm rule: never send lingerie, partly nude or nude pictures. If anyone asks you for them, treat it as a serious red flag.
Fitted black basics for digitals
Light
Natural light gives the truest colours. Look for soft, indirect light, such as by a large window or outdoors on a cloudy day. Direct sun makes you squint and throws hard shadows.
Check that the light falls evenly across your whole body, so you are not half in sun and half in shade. If you have to shoot in the evening, use the best-lit spot in your home or a ring light.
Background
Stand in front of a plain wall, ideally white. Clear away clutter, pictures, plug sockets and light switches. Outdoors, a plain building wall or a garage door can work just as well.
Soft window light on a plain wall
Agencies vary, so if yours sends a shot list, use it. If not, cover these:
Headshots Straight on, once smiling and once neutral, plus one with your hair pulled back off your face
Three-quarter headshot Neutral, with or without your eyes on the camera
Profile Side on and neutral, not looking at the camera
Full length, front Standing straight with arms relaxed, once smiling and once neutral
Many fashion agencies prefer no smile, while commercial clients often want at least one, so take both.
Keep posing simple: shoulders back, weight even on both feet, hair off your face, and no angles that change your proportions. Editorial poses belong in your book, not here.
You do not need an expensive camera. A phone is fine. Use a tripod or a steady surface with the timer, or ask a friend. Take plenty of shots, then pick the sharpest, best-lit ones. Check none are blurry or too dark, and do not edit them: no filters, no beauty mode, no retouching.
A neutral side profile
Once you are signed, agencies usually want fresh digitals every couple of months, or whenever a client asks. Shoot a new set straight away after any change to your look: a new haircut or colour, a change in your body, or a new tattoo.
Keep your latest set on your phone, where you can pull it up quickly at go-sees and castings. Our guide on how castings work explains what to expect when you get there.
When you apply to an agency, phone pictures are what it wants to see. A genuine agency asks for clothed portraits, a side profile and a full-length picture, and nothing more revealing than swimwear when a job needs it.
The US Federal Trade Commission adds two more warning signs: a real agency will not ask you to pay for a test shoot or your photographs, and it will not make using its own photographer or make-up artist a condition of getting work.
Applying to 22 IMPACT? You do not need professional pictures. The model application asks for three photos taken on your phone: one facing the camera, one side profile and one full length. Clear phone photos in natural light are what we want to see. Once you are signed, our model management team builds your book with you and keeps your digitals current.
Checklist
FAQ
Simple, unretouched pictures of you as you look today, taken against a plain background with little or no make-up. Agencies and clients use them to see your natural look before they sign or book you.
Yes. They were once shot on Polaroid film, and many people still call them Polaroids or polas. Today most are taken on a phone or digital camera.
Yes. Most digitals are taken on a phone. What matters is soft, even light, a plain background and no filters or editing.
Every couple of months once you are signed, or when a client asks. Take new ones straight away after a haircut, a colour change or any other change to your look.
No. An agency or client may ask for swimwear digitals, but you should never send lingerie, partly nude or nude pictures. A request for them is a red flag.
Send your digitals and measurements through the application form.
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