When trying to sign with an agency, they’ll likely ask you to send “digitals”, formerly known as “polaroids”.

Digitals are nothing more than simple, plain photos of yourself: no makeup, no editing, no filters, no special lighting.

The reason for such request is for the agency – and clients – to see you in your natural form. Your portfolio is full of photos of you styled, with makeup, professional lighting and editing. That’s great, it is your portfolio after all, but the agencies and clients can’t tell what you really look like by going through your portfolio, and that’s why they need to see you as natural as possible.

Your digitals don’t have to cost you anything and you don’t need a professional photographer to get them taken.

You’re going to need at least three photos: closeup, 1/2 body and full body. Having a closeup profile can also help.

So here are some tips to get the best digitals you can.

Grace Ronnfeldt Digitals
Grace Ronnfeldt
  • your phone is good enough;
  • no selfies;
  • no filters;
  • no editing at all;
  • no makeup;
  • shade;
  • good natural light;
  • black or white bikini;
  • jeans and black or white singlet;
  • black, white or nude heels.

YOUR PHONE IS GOOD ENOUGH, BUT NO SELFIES PLEASE

You can use your phone to get your digitals done, but ask someone to take the photos for you. Selfies are no good.

When your friend is taking your digitals, ask him/her to shoot from your waist level. If you shoot down (from a higher angle), your legs will look shorter. For the closeup shot, if your phone has a “telephoto” lens, use that one. For the other shots, the normal lens will be ok.

Grace Ronnfeldt Digitals
Grace Ronnfeldt

NO MAKEUP, NO FILTERS, NO EDITING AT ALL

Remember that the agencies and clients want to see what you look like without all the makeup and styling, so it should be obvious that digitally altering the photos will not help. If anything, it will make it worse, because if you do land a meeting or an audition and when you get there they realise your photos were manipulated and you don’t look like the photos you submitted, they’ll feel like you wasted their time.

SHADE, GOOD NATURAL LIGHT

You don’t need professional lighting to look good. Find a place in shade with good natural lighting and you’re all set. If you can have that with a plain wall behind you, even better. If you are indoors, a good way to do that is to be facing a big window – window light is always flattering.

Grace Ronnfeldt Digitals
Grace Ronnfeldt

WARDROBE

You can send two different sets of digitals: one wearing a two pieces and one wearing jeans and singlet. Black or white bikini with black, white or nude high heels work best. Jeans with white or black singlet (singlet not too loose) and black, white or nude high heels.

For young girls (under 16yo), stick with jeans and singlet to start with.

INFORMATION TO SEND

Remember: agencies receive LOTS of emails from people wanting to become models, so the more prepared you are and the more information you can give the agency at first contact, the better.

Don’t send them a biography, but tell the agency a little bit about yourself and why you want to become a model, and your measurements: height, bust (chest for the boys), waist, hip, dress (suit for the boys) size, shoe size, hair style and colour, eye colour. These can be in centimetres with agencies in Australia.

JOIN OUR TEAM

If you are ready to become a model and you have your digitals and all the information you need to send us, please do get in touch!