To take model digitals, photograph yourself in daylight against a plain wall, wearing fitted, simple clothes with no makeup, and send the pictures exactly as shot: no filters, no beauty mode, no retouching. The core set most agencies ask for is a front-on headshot, a side profile and a full-length shot, with hair pulled back off your face; some add a waist-up frame or a full-length profile. A phone on a tripod with a self-timer is enough, and several agencies state that professional photos are not needed. Where people slip up is in the details agencies disagree on, such as smiling, swimwear and file size.
This page covers digitals, also called polaroids, only. Building a full book of styled images is covered in our modeling portfolio guide. The agency pages compared below were read on October 1, 2026; requirements change, so open each agency's current page before you submit.
What digitals are for
The British Fashion Model Agents Association glossary describes digitals as snapshots, usually taken at the agency, that show a client how you look naturally before a shoot, so they can check skin, hair and shape. That purpose explains every rule that follows. A portfolio shows what a team can make of you; digitals show what will walk through the studio door. Anything that hides the real you, from contouring to a flattering filter, defeats the point and can make an agency doubt the rest of your application.
The same body is skeptical of expensive starts. Its frauds and scams guidance says you do not need a portfolio to approach an agent and that a couple of snapshots, a headshot and a full length, are enough for them to judge how photogenic you are.
What six agencies ask applicants to send
The requirements overlap heavily, which is useful: a set that meets all six leaves little to redo when you apply elsewhere.
| Agency | Shots requested | Styling and editing rules | Worth noting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Models1, London | Three photos matching its examples: headshot, profile and full length | No makeup, bright natural light, color images with no filters, effects or retouching, hair away from the face | Phone photos are fine; a vest top and slim jeans work for the full length; no swimwear or underwear |
| The MiLK Collective, London | One headshot, one side profile and one full length | No retouching or filters, no makeup, sunglasses or hats, no baggy clothes, hair off the face | No lingerie, swimwear or bikini images; uploads accepted as JPG or JPEG |
| Genesis, London | Front headshot, side profile and full-length front; a back or three-quarter full length is optional | Daylight only with no studio or artificial lighting, no retouching or filters, no makeup, face fully visible | Profile should use the same light and background as the headshot; a walk video is welcome |
| Elite Models | Full length, full-length profile, close-up and close-up profile, hair pulled back for both close-ups | Form-fitting clothes, no makeup and no large accessories such as hoops or bracelets | Asks for no smiles, and for measurements taken in a bikini by someone you are comfortable with |
| Ethos, New York | Four daylight images: close-up, waist-up, profile and full length | Neutral clothing against a clear background; professional photos not required | Upload limit of 2 MB per image in JPG, JPEG or PNG; states no fees to apply or sign |
| Kult, Australia | Portrait, side profile and full body, uploaded through its form | Simple fitted clothing, no makeup or smiling, natural and unfiltered, no retouching or professional photography | Says it will never ask for nude or lingerie photographs or for payment during scouting or application |
Three disagreements are worth planning around. On expression, Elite and Kult ask for no smiling and Unite Models in the UK tells applicants to relax the face without smiling or pouting, while the others are silent, so a calm neutral face is the safe default. On swimwear, MiLK and Models1 say not to send it while Elite uses a bikini for measuring; our swimwear modeling guide explains how to handle that request safely. On makeup, Unite accepts natural makeup or none, while every other agency here that mentions makeup asks for none, so go bare.
The digitals shot list
Shoot the core frames every time and add the extras only when an agency's page asks for them.
- Close-up, front on (core). Face square to the lens, hair tied back or tucked behind the ears, shoulders in frame, neutral expression.
- Close-up profile (core). Turn your head fully to one side without moving the camera, so the light and background match the front shot.
- Full length, front (core). Head to toe in frame with a little space above and below, arms relaxed at your sides, weight even on both feet.
- Waist-up (extra). Framed from the top of the head to just below the waist; some agencies use it instead of a separate close-up.
- Full-length profile (extra). Side-on from head to toe, standing naturally rather than posing.
- Full length from behind or at three-quarter (extra). Helpful for fittings, as Genesis notes.
- Expression frames (only on request). A natural smile and a soft, closed-mouth look, taken in the same light as your close-up.
- Walk video (only on request). A short, steady clip walking toward and away from the camera in the same outfit.
Digitals are deliberately unposed, which is harder than it sounds. Our posing practice plan includes a neutral stance drill that helps you stand naturally without looking stiff.
Home setup checklist
- Light: face a window in daytime so soft light falls evenly on your face; turn off ring lights, lamps and flash, since Genesis asks for no artificial lighting at all.
- Background: a plain, light wall with nothing hanging on it, and clutter moved out of the full-length frame.
- Camera height: roughly eye level for close-ups and around waist height for full lengths, which keeps your proportions honest.
- Lens: use the main rear camera, not the ultra-wide lens, and step back rather than zooming digitally.
- Phone settings: switch off beauty mode, portrait blur and any skin-smoothing option before the first frame.
- Outfit: a plain fitted top and slim jeans or leggings in one solid color, with no logos, belts or jewelry.
- Grooming: clean skin and brushed, tied-back hair; leave out styling products that change your hair's natural texture.
- Helper: a tripod and self-timer, or a friend you trust. Never someone who contacted you online offering to shoot your digitals.
- Final check: zoom in on each frame for sharp focus, true color and your whole body in shot before you send anything.
The no-filter rule and file naming
Models1, MiLK, Genesis and Kult all rule out filters and retouching in so many words, and Unique Models in the UK says digitally enhanced photographs should not be submitted at all. Treat cropping and straightening as the only acceptable edits. Then name your files so a booker can tell what they are without opening them:
| Frame | File name pattern |
|---|---|
| Close-up, front | firstname-lastname_closeup-front_YYYY-MM.jpg |
| Close-up profile | firstname-lastname_closeup-profile_YYYY-MM.jpg |
| Full length, front | firstname-lastname_fulllength-front_YYYY-MM.jpg |
| Waist-up | firstname-lastname_waistup_YYYY-MM.jpg |
| Walk video | firstname-lastname_walk_YYYY-MM.mp4 |
Check size limits before uploading; they vary. Ethos caps each image at 2 MB, while Genesis takes up to 12 images at 12 MB each, so export a full-resolution master and a smaller copy of each frame.
When to retake them
Digitals expire when you change. Retake the set after a haircut or color change, a noticeable change in body shape, new visible tattoos or piercings, or a change in skin, and before any new round of applications. Genesis asks for recent images for exactly this reason. If you are already signed, the BFMA's advice to new models is never to cut or dye your hair without first consulting your booker, because clients book from the look they have seen. A simple habit is to retake digitals at the start of each season, label them by month, and send your agency the new set as soon as anything about your appearance changes. Fresh digitals also feed your comp card, whose stats should match them.
Send digitals only through channels you have verified
Digitals are personal images, so treat every request for them as a security question. Models1 says it never contacts applicants through WhatsApp or Facebook and only emails from its own domain, and Vivien's Models in Australia warns that any email not ending in its own domain is not legitimate. The BFMA adds that impostors often use addresses with an odd prefix and that no agency will ask for banking information online.
- Submit through the form on the agency's own website, or to the address published there, never to an account that messaged you first.
- Refuse any fee. The FTC's modeling scam guidance says real agencies will not charge for a test shoot, for photos or to hold your spot.
- Keep your date of birth and home address out of file names and email signatures; Australia's Scamwatch warns job seekers to be careful with both and not to send identity documents until they are sure who they are dealing with.
- In California, check for a license number: the Labor Commissioner's talent agency page says talent agencies must be licensed, must cite the license number in advertisements soliciting talent, and counts models among the artists covered.
- Report a fake: to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, to Scamwatch in Australia, or to Report Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Limits of this comparison
Six agencies are a sample, not the industry, and several of them scout specific looks or age ranges we have not reproduced here. Agencies redesign their application pages without notice, so a rule quoted above may have changed by the time you read it. Good digitals make an application easy to assess; they cannot make an agency take you on, and a rejection often reflects that agency's current needs rather than the quality of your photos; the BFMA warns that a face may simply not suit a particular agency.