Model digitals for US models

Model digitals examples and polaroids

Every agency and most clients ask for the same plain set before they book anyone. Here are the shots, what to wear and what a photographer charges. Then put the set on a profile that brands search by height, city and date, so the digitals keep working after the email is sent.

Post your digitals $19 a month, no commission

Adults only. A person reads every profile before it goes public.

Model digitals front full-length shot of a woman in a fitted black tank top and jeans against a white wall

5 ft 8 in Unretouched Window light Shot this month

The short answer

What model digitals are for

Model digitals, also called polaroids, are six to eight plain photos of you as you are today: two close-ups, both profiles, a waist-up and a full length, in fitted dark clothes against a light wall in daylight, with no retouching. Agencies use them to decide whether to sign you. Clients use them to check that the person who shows up matches the person they booked.

You can shoot a usable set at home with a phone, or pay a photographer roughly $125 to $185 for a short session. Either way, a set sitting in one agency's inbox does nothing next month. A MaxGirls profile holds the same frames next to your height, sizes, city, availability and rate, and the brands and photographers who book directly can find it.

Model digitals examples

The shots every agency asks for, frame by frame

Unretouched

Side profile, full length Turned 90 degrees, shoulders relaxed. Shows posture and the line from chest to hip that fit and apparel clients check.

Unretouched

Close-up, no smile Hair off the face, mouth closed, eyes to the lens. Skin, bone structure and eye shape, exactly as they are.

Unretouched

Close-up, smiling One natural smile with teeth. Commercial, print and beauty clients book this frame more than any other.

Left and right profile, close Hair tucked behind the ear, chin level. Jawline, nose and the ear line, for beauty and eyewear clients.

Waist-up, front Arms relaxed, shoulders down. The frame a commercial client crops for a print ad or a catalog.

Full length, back Optional, but swim, fit and apparel teams often ask. Same pose as the front, turned around.

The examples above are illustrative frames, not a real model. Shoot each pose several times and keep the sharpest; one clear version of each frame reads better than three near-duplicates.

Model digitals outfit

What to wear for digitals, and what to leave off

Wear

A fitted black tank top or plain fitted T-shirt
Fitted black or dark blue jeans, or slim black pants
Bare feet, or plain heels if the agency asks for them
Clean hair, pulled back for the profiles, down for one frame
Bare skin or makeup nobody would notice
A plain one-color swimsuit, only when an agency requests a swim set

Leave off

Logos, prints, stripes and anything loose or oversized
Jewelry, hats, sunglasses and visible bra straps in a contrasting color
Filters, beauty mode, portrait blur and any retouching
Fake tan, fresh lash extensions or a styled updo
Mirror selfies and photos older than a few months
Lingerie or nude frames, ever

That last line is also a warning. A legitimate agency or client never needs lingerie, topless or nude digitals to judge you. Anyone who asks for them, or who asks you to pay before you are signed, is the start of a scam. Our modeling scams checklist lists the other signs.

How to take model digitals

A usable set at home in thirty minutes

Smartphone on a tripod facing a white wall by a window, set up to shoot model digitals at home

Find the light A plain white or light gray wall next to a big window, mid-morning or late afternoon. Face the window, never put it behind you. Overhead lights off.
Set the camera Phone on a tripod or a stack of books at waist height, about eight feet back for the full length. Back camera, 1x lens, timer on, portrait mode off.
Shoot every frame Close-up neutral, close-up smiling, both profiles, waist-up, full length front, side and back. Ten of each, small changes between them.
Pick and send One sharp frame per pose, no edits beyond a straight crop. Name the files with your name and height, and date the set.

Ask someone to take the full lengths if you can; a second person keeps the camera level with your hips, which stops your legs looking shorter than they are. Shoot the waist-up and close-ups at chest height.

Model digitals photographer

Pay a digitals photographer, or shoot the set yourself

Agencies accept phone digitals when the light is good and the frames are honest. A photographer is worth it when your home has no clean wall or window, or when you want someone to correct your posture as you go. What you should not buy for a digitals request is a styled portfolio shoot.

	Phone at home	Digitals session	Studio package
Published price	$0, a tripod helps	$125 to $185 (Jasmine Baeza, LA and New York)	$500 for four looks (Headshots LA)
Time	About 30 minutes	15 to 45 minutes	One session
Retouching	None, by design	None, natural light	Ask; digitals should have none
Best when	You have a window and a plain wall	An agency asked and you want them right first time	You need digitals and a few styled looks together
Watch out for	Wide-angle distortion up close	Sessions sold as agency access	Packages pushed by an agency that then signs you

Prices as each photographer publishes them, read in October 2026; your city will differ. If the people asking you to buy the shoot are the same people offering to represent you, read our pages on how to tell a real agency from a school or a photo studio before paying anyone.

After you shoot them

Send them to agencies, and post them where brands search

Agencies read digitals in an email or an online form, and most never reply unless they want you. Meanwhile the work that most models actually get, catalog, e-commerce, fit, product and local commercial days, is booked by brands, studios and photographers who search for someone in their city with the right height and size and email them directly.

A MaxGirls profile is your digitals plus the six facts a booker filters on, reviewed by a person and then public. Clients contact you directly and you keep the whole fee. If you also want a printable card for go-sees, the comp card maker lays out the same frames and stats, and the model portfolio guide covers what to add once you have styled work.

Create your profile

Profile, digitalsReviewed

Height: 5 ft 8 in
Sizes: Dress 4, shoe 8
City: Atlanta, travels to Charlotte
Available: Weekdays from Oct 14
Digitals shot: This month
Day rate: Your range

Digitals for your kind of work

What changes in the set for each type of model

Petite

Shoot the full length with the camera at hip height so the frame does not shorten you, and state your height in feet and inches.

Petite modeling

Plus size and curve

Fitted, not tight, in one dark color. Put current measurements with the set; curve boards check them against the photo.

Plus size modeling

Over 40

Gray hair and lines stay in. Clients casting mature models want the real face, so skip the soft-focus filter.

Mature modeling

Tattooed and alt

Add one frame per visible piece in daylight, then one set with the ink covered for clients who need both.

Tattoo modeling

Hands

Close-ups of both hands, backs and palms, nails bare. Ring and glove size go with the set.

Hand modeling

Fit and apparel

Front, side and back full lengths matter most, plus exact measurements. Fit teams book the body, not the face.

Fit model jobs

Questions

Model digitals, answered

Post your digitals

What are model digitals?

Model digitals are plain, unretouched photos that show an agency or client exactly what you look like today: a close-up, a smiling close-up, both profiles, a waist-up and a full length, in fitted dark clothes against a plain wall in daylight. No styling, no filters, little or no makeup. They replace the old instant Polaroids.

What is the difference between digitals and polaroids?

None in practice. Agencies used to shoot models on instant Polaroid film, so the plain reference shots kept the name. Today they are taken on a phone or a digital camera and most agencies say digitals, but a booker asking for polaroids wants the same set: natural light, plain wall, no retouching.

What do you wear for model digitals?

A fitted black tank top or plain T-shirt with fitted black or dark blue jeans, and bare feet or simple heels if the agency asks. No logos, prints, baggy clothes or jewelry, because the point is to show your proportions. Some agencies also ask for a plain swimsuit set; never send lingerie or nude photos.

Can I take my own model digitals?

Yes, and most agencies accept them. Stand against a plain light wall near a big window, put your phone on a tripod at waist height, use the timer and shoot each pose ten times. Do not edit, filter or use portrait mode. A paid photographer helps if your home has poor light or you want a second opinion on posture.

How much do model digitals cost?

Nothing if you shoot them yourself. Photographers who sell digitals sessions publish prices around $125 to $185 for 15 to 45 minutes in Los Angeles and New York, and studio packages with several looks run near $500. Pay for digitals, not for a styled portfolio, if an agency only asked for digitals.

How many digitals should a model have?

Six to eight frames is enough for a submission: close-up neutral, close-up smiling, left profile, right profile, waist-up and full length front and side. Shoot many more and pick the clearest. Agencies read the set in under a minute, so one sharp version of each pose beats three similar ones.

Should you smile in model digitals?

In one close-up, yes. Agencies want a relaxed neutral face for most frames and one natural smile showing your teeth, because commercial, print and beauty clients book the smile. Keep it real rather than posed. Everything else in the set stays neutral, with the mouth closed and the face relaxed.

How often should you update your digitals?

Every three to six months, and right after any visible change: a haircut or new color, a new tattoo, a weight change, braces off. Clients book the person in the photos and expect that person on set. Dating the set on your profile tells a booker the photos are current.

Do male models need digitals?

Yes, the same set: close-up neutral and smiling, both profiles, waist-up and full length, in a fitted plain T-shirt or tank and dark jeans. Shoot clean-shaven or with your usual beard trimmed, and add a shirtless frame only if the agency asks for one. Fitness and underwear clients usually do.

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