How it works
The name comes from the days when agencies photographed models with an instant Polaroid camera. Now they are taken with a phone or a camera, but the rules are the same: daylight, clean skin, hair tied back or loose, simple fitted clothes.
The standard set is a portrait from the front, a portrait in profile, a half-length and a full-length shot from the front, side and back. Sometimes a smile and hair down are requested too.
Clients value digitals more than the portfolio because there is no stylist and no retouching. Agencies update them regularly, especially before fashion week or a trip to a new market.
In practice
Before a trip to a new market the booker asks for new digitals. The model stands against a white wall by a window, no make-up, in a black fitted top and trousers. A friend takes a portrait, a profile, half-length and full-length frames from the front, side and back on a phone. The pictures are not retouched and go out the same day.
What to watch for
- No filters, no retouching.
- Black fitted clothes or a swimsuit.
- Shoot against a light wall in daylight.
Related terms
Frequently asked
01Which digitals do you need to apply to an agency?
A portrait, a profile and a full-length shot, no make-up, in daylight.
02How do digitals differ from a portfolio?
The portfolio shows what the model can create with a team; digitals show what they really look like.