Agency Digitals vs. an Editorial Set

Most models need two very different kinds of images, and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes I see. Here's what each one is for, and why a good test gives you both.

What agency digitals are

Digitals — sometimes called polaroids or digis — are an honest record of what you look like right now. No retouching, natural light, minimal or no makeup, hair down and simple. You in fitted basics: a tank, jeans, maybe a slip.

They're shot to a standard set of angles: straight on, both profiles, from the back, a natural smile, hands. The point isn't to flatter you — it's to give a client accurate information. A booker sends digitals so a casting can trust exactly what shows up on the day.

Agencies want these updated regularly, and after any real change — a haircut, a color, weight, a new look.

What an editorial set is

An editorial set is the opposite job. Styled, lit, posed, and edited to portfolio standard. Its purpose is to show what you bring — range, mood, how you move, what you do with a concept. This is what goes in your book and on your feed.

Why you need both, and why they don't mix

The mistake goes both ways.

Over-produce your digitals — heavy makeup, big retouching, dramatic light — and you undercut the one thing they're for. A client can't trust them, so they get skipped. Digitals earn their keep by being plain.

Go the other way and shoot "editorial" that's really just undirected snapshots, and you show no range. Flat images in a book do nothing for you.

They're two different tools. Digitals get you considered. The editorial set shows what happens once you're in the room. A test with me delivers a clean agency-spec digitals set and an elevated edited set, so you leave with both jobs covered.

A quick gut check

If you're not sure which one a given image is, ask what it's answering. "Is this accurate?" is a digital. "Is this good?" is editorial. Keep them separate and both do their job.

Want to put a set of each together? Reach out through the contact page and tell me where your book stands.