Having a good picture of yourself is hard to master and digitals (or also known as snapshots, polaroids, etc.) are much more complicated when in the hands of a friend or tripod. What seemingly should only take minutes can take hours to get the right picture if you’re unsure of what to do or look for in a strong set of digital photos for modeling so here are some basic tips to get you started.
Starting off, let’s check off what not to do when taking digitals either for an online submission or in person at the agency.
- Strange dramatic poses that look strained or uncomfortable
- Fad faces seen on Instagram
- Loud and unnatural fashion, makeup and hair, accessories
- Poses that aren’t your style meaning if you don’t smile in person don’t smile for the camera (practice those at home later because someday you may want a few smiles in your portfolio)
- Using filters and other photo editing software or heavy editing
- Anything or anyone in the background
Here’s what to do for strong digitals~
The Photoshoot
Having or borrowing a good camera with high quality photos is optimal, but if you can’t get access to one, then work with your best option. (A digital photo should be around 1MB for a decent quality size)
Finding a white wall with little or no texture is always best (use the flat side of the wall and avoid corners if possible because lighting can be more difficult to control). Make sure the ground is clean from clutter and that the lighting is natural. It should be only you, the wall, and a well swept floor. Taking the pictures on a sunny day (between 10am-3pm) will prevent any bags or heavy lines appearing on your face and its the most complimenting on the skin. The camera should be about eye level when taking the photos. Too high and it makes your head seem larger while too low can give anyone a double chin and eye bags. Once the lighting and wall have been chosen it’s time to select what to wear.
You will notice the uneven shadowing hides the models beauty. 
Look for soft natural lighting that lights up the whole body.
While this one is great for a photoshoot, for digitals it’s not good to cut off your body or cover parts of the body when posing. Keep backgrounds clean and simple for digitals. 
Notice the models hands and legs aren’t hidden in the poses but well seen.
Your Appearance
Makeup should be natural to enhance your features and cover slight flaws such as acne (no more than a light layer of mascara, light foundation, eyebrows filled if necessary, and lip balm).
Hair should be kept in its natural state and left down. If your hair is wild like mine and tends to get frizzy then add some hair products and flat iron pieces to make them lay nicely. The reason you shouldn’t style your hair too much, especially adding waves or curls, is because the hair appears shorter and the client might think you have naturally curly hair only to find out it’s different than what they see in your photos.
Keep nails painted nude or clear including the toenails and well trimmed. No fake nails or gel unless in neutral colors, but fake nails are highly not recommended as in photoshoots they like the change the colors often or add their own nails to yours.
Piercings should be removed or kept very small. No other jewelry.
Don’t cover your tattoos with makeup. Clients want to see the real you.
Wardrobe
Heels should be no shorter than two inches. Black or nude no other color. Too short and they make your legs appear shorter than they are. You don’t want overly tall heels either as they can distract from your natural beauty. Luckily you don’t have to walk in these heels, so if you can’t walk in heels yet, take your time in the taller heels and get comfortable in them while posing. You can go barefoot during the swimsuit photos, but I recommend wearing the heels just to enhance your legs anyways.
Clothes are a hard choice because fashion changes all the time. If you’re new to submitting to agencies or taking digitals I recommend playing it safe and simple. Dark smooth jeans, pants, or shorts and a black fitted top are the standard. For the swimsuit photos I recommend a black swimsuit without too much cut outs or design. Make sure it flatters your body type and there are no strange bulges from the sides of your back or butt area as this is common even for the skinniest of models.
Here are some outfits to give you an idea of what you can wear (always choose something you are comfortable in wearing otherwise it will just make you more nervous).
When choosing a swimsuit keep it simple, black, and the shape flattering to your body type. A bikini is highly recommended and not one pieces.
Stay away from a complicated swimsuit as it distracts the viewer from you and draws their attention to your swimsuit instead. 
A smooth well fitted swimsuit, black in color, is always professional.
Posing
Finding great digital poses from online and mimicking them is the best way to learn. It’s the one time copying is ok! Find ones that you’re comfortable with and are natural. Try a variety of expressions when posing that same pose. First neutral expression, slightly “intense”, smiling gently, toothy smile, and then laughing for a variety of options.
Types of Digital Photos
Most common digitals to take:
Portrait/ up close: Front shot with a few different expressions and poses as well as one straight one pose
Portrait/ up close profile: side view both left and right sides with hair behind ears or in low ponytail
Full body: Front shot with a few different expressions and poses as well as a straight on pose. Left and right side and also a back shot.
Full body bikini or swimsuit: Both front, left and right sides, and back slightly posed.
The Photos You Should Have
Make sure to repeat all the poses with both hair down, in a ponytail, and one session with regular clothes and one with swimsuit.
For all the photo types below make sure you also have these. 1 facing forward, both right and left side profile view, back side, 1 or 2 free poses of your own choice.
~ Fully body photo (make sure your feet and head isn’t cut off)
~ Bust up (from hips up to top of head)
~ Headshot (from waist or shoulders to top of head)
Fully body, bust up and headshot examples.
Videos You Should Have
There are times clients also want a live video so it’s good to make one at the same time as your digitals and saves you time in the long run. You can also use these on your social media platforms to promote yourself as well. Here’s what to do.
Say your name and measurements (height, bust, waist, hips, shoe size). Also be sure to take an additional video without stating your name or measurements as some clients don’t need this information. Give a straight front pose, one left and right side pose, one back pose, and one more final front free pose (super important! Make sure your hair is in a ponytail and away from the face). It’s best to start the camera close or end close for some portrait style shots too just in case. Never state your age unless asked or any other personal information as this wastes the clients time or is dangerous to give out.
Lastly, and here’s the challenge, make a video of you walking towards and away from the camera. Keep this video separate from the others as it will be used mostly runway auditions. Choose your most comfortable heels (black of course) and make sure your body isn’t cut off in the film.
As a model, it’s good to have a variety of poses that you are comfortable making so that when you visit the agency you’ll be ready to strike them and make the process easy and more professional. Practice at home in a mirror striking those poses first. After that move on to practicing in front of a camera either set up on a tripod or with a friend’s help. A photo will clearly show the mistakes you are making compared to a mirror and remember if your friend or agent isn’t the best at taking a good angle, a model should try to adjust their pose to fit the angle and lighting. Your face should always face the light for the smoothest skin too!
If you’re unsure of what poses are “model style” then do some research. Set aside a small collection of your favorites and practice them to make it your own. Stiffness is a model’s worst enemy so try and relax and don’t focus on the person behind the camera but the camera itself and be yourself.
Follow these set of rules and you should be able to produce a strong collection of digitals and videos to submit to castings and agencies. These are what get you the job first and sometimes the clients won’t even look at your comp card with professional photos so these are just as important as the professional ones.
Should you have any further questions please feel free to leave a comment!
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