A woman with long dark hair wearing a black spaghetti strap top, blue jeans, and black heels standing against a white background.
A woman with long dark hair wearing a black spaghetti strap top and blue jeans, standing against a plain white background.
A young woman with long dark hair wearing a black spaghetti strap top and jeans, standing against a plain white background.
Close-up image of a young woman with blue eyes and fair skin, wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck top and light-colored jeans, standing against a plain light gray background.
A woman stands against a plain light gray background, wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck top, light blue high-waisted jeans, beige high heels, and a black belt with a silver buckle.
Close-up of a woman with blue eyes, dark hair in a high ponytail, wearing a black sleeveless top, against a plain light background.
A woman with red hair wearing a black tank top and blue jeans facing the camera with a neutral expression, standing against a plain white wall.
A woman with long red hair wearing a black tank top, dark blue jeans, and black high-heeled sandals standing against a plain white wall.
A woman with red hair wearing a black sleeveless top and jeans standing against a plain white background.
Close-up of a woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, wearing a black strap top.
A young woman with blue eyes and long blonde hair wearing a black spaghetti strap top.
A young woman with long blond hair, wearing a black spaghetti strap top, black high-waisted jeans, and black high heels, standing against a plain off-white background.

What digitals actually are

Digitals are the plain, unretouched pictures an agency uses to see a model as they actually are on a given day — no styling, no lighting tricks, no post. They're the baseline every book and casting decision starts from, and keeping them current matters more than most people expect.

Digitals — sometimes called polas or agency snaps — are simple, natural-light shots taken to show a model honestly: face, body, and proportions with nothing added. The name goes back to the Polaroids agencies once took at the front desk, and the purpose hasn't changed even though the format has. A clean set usually means a front, side, and back, a straight-on headshot, and a smiling frame, shot against a plain wall in fitted basics. Nothing about them is meant to flatter — that's the point. A casting director looks at digitals precisely because they aren't retouched, and an honest set builds more trust than a polished one.

Who digitals are for

If you're new, digitals are the first thing an agency will ask for, and often the only thing they need to start a conversation. If you're already signed, they're what you refresh whenever your look changes — a haircut, a few pounds either way, a season since the last set — because an out-of-date set costs you castings. Either way, digitals aren't portfolio images and don't need to be; they're the accurate record your agency works from between shoots.

How to prepare

Come as close to your natural self as possible. Fitted basics in solid colors — a plain tank or fitted tee, skinny jeans or bike shorts, and heels for the women — so your shape reads clearly. Skin, hair, and nails clean and natural: little to no makeup, hair down and back from the face, nothing styled. Bring flat shoes and heels both if you're unsure. The goal is to give the agency an honest look, so the less you add, the more useful the set.

How the session works

Digitals are quick and unfussy. We shoot against a plain wall in even, natural light — front, side, back, a straight headshot, a smile, hands and profile if your agency wants them. Minimal direction, no production; the aim is accuracy, not drama. If you're already in for a test, we can shoot a fresh set of digitals at the top of the session before we get into the styled looks, so you leave with both.

How to use digitals

You leave with clean, web-sized files formatted to agency specs and ready to send the same day. Digitals go straight to your agency and onto your agency profile — they're not for your portfolio or social, and they're not meant to be. Keep them current: send a new set whenever your look shifts, and your agency always has an accurate picture to submit you on.

A last word

Digitals are the least glamorous images you'll ever shoot and among the most important. They're the honest version — the one every casting starts from — so the best thing you can do is keep them simple, keep them recent, and let them do exactly the plain, useful job they're there for.