Quick answer
Model digitals are recent, simple photographs showing a model’s current face, profile and full length. The agency determines the exact set. A submission requesting unedited digitals needs real, unedited originals.
Give each photograph a job
A reviewer needs to see your face, profile, silhouette and proportions. Prepare a front portrait, a profile and a full-length image, then add a three-quarter view when the application asks for it. One expressive fashion photograph cannot answer every question.
Start with your chosen agency’s application form. Elite, for example, specifies its own views, clothing and makeup requirements. Those are the rules of a particular agency, rather than a universal standard.
Digitals and tests serve different purposes
Keep a digital series calm: simple clothes, readable light and few distractions. In a test shoot, a photographer explores expression and styling. Tests communicate range; digitals document your current appearance.
Keep original files separate from edited versions. When an agency asks for unedited digitals, send those originals. Background adjustments and AI enhancement change the source too, so do not label them as unedited.
Select a series, not a pile of duplicates
Compare similar angles side by side. Choose sharp photographs where clothing does not hide your silhouette and the pose does not distort proportions. Check that the series feels consistent and shows you as you look today.
Name files by angle and date. Open the attachments on your phone before sending them: information that looks obvious on a large monitor may disappear in a small application preview.
Before sending
- Portrait, profile and full length
- Recent photographs without filters
- Agency requirements checked
- Original files kept separately
Common questions
Do I need a professional camera?
A phone can work for a simple series. Check focus, lighting and perspective distortion.
Can AI images replace digitals?
Not for a submission requesting real, unedited photographs. Keep AI concepts in a separate section.
Primary sources
Check the original company or country requirements before submitting or travelling.