How to Take Model Digitals at Home
Digitals are the single most important thing you send an agency — and the part most new faces get wrong. The good news: you don't need a photographer, a studio, or a single hryvnia. You need your phone, a window, and about ten minutes. Here is exactly how to do it.
What digitals actually are (and what they're not)
"Digitals" — sometimes called polaroids, even when they're shot on a phone — are plain, unedited photos that show an agency the real you: your true face, skin, shape and proportions. They are not a glamour shoot. They are not meant to look like a magazine cover. In fact, the more "produced" they look, the less useful they are.
A scout looks at digitals to answer one simple question: what does this person actually look like, right now, with nothing added? Your only job is to make that answer easy to see. Honesty beats beauty here — every single time.
What you need
- A phone camera — any modern phone is perfect. You do not need a "real" camera.
- A window with soft, natural daylight.
- A plain, light-coloured wall as a background.
- A friend to take the photos — or a small tripod (or something to prop your phone against) and the timer. Avoid selfies: the wide front lens distorts your face and proportions, which defeats the whole purpose.
That is the entire kit. Anything more is unnecessary.
Step 1 — Get the light right
Light is ninety percent of a good digital. Stand facing a window so daylight falls evenly across your face. Soft, indirect daylight is ideal — an overcast day is actually perfect. What to avoid:
- Direct, harsh sunlight — it creates hard shadows and makes you squint.
- Overhead ceiling lights and lamps — they cast unflattering shadows under the eyes.
- Flash — never use it.
Shoot in the morning or late afternoon for the softest light. If the room feels dim, simply move closer to the window.
Step 2 — What to wear
Keep it simple and fitted, so your true shape is visible:
- Fitted jeans, leggings or shorts with a plain, fitted top — or a simple fitted dress. Plain colours only.
- Bare feet or simple shoes.
- Hair down and natural, off your face. No elaborate styling.
- Little or no makeup — agencies want to see your real skin.
- No jewellery, no sunglasses, no hats.
Avoid baggy clothes, busy patterns, large logos and anything that hides your figure — they make it impossible to judge proportions.
Step 3 — The exact shots to send
Keep every photo sharp, well-lit, full-frame and unedited. Send at least these four:
- Front headshot — head and shoulders, neutral relaxed expression, looking straight into the lens.
- Full-length front — head to toe, standing straight, arms relaxed at your sides.
- Side profile — turned 90° so we see your profile clearly (head-and-shoulders or full length).
- Natural smile — a real, warm smile (teeth are great). This one is about personality, so make it genuine.
Helpful extras: a three-quarter turn, a full-length from the back, and a daylight close-up of your face.
Step 4 — Posture and expression
Stand tall — imagine a string gently pulling you up from the crown of your head. Shoulders down and relaxed, weight even, arms loose by your sides (don't press them against your body or hide your hands). Look directly into the lens.
The most common mistake is tension: a stiff jaw, raised shoulders, a forced smile. Take a breath, soften your face, and shoot a few frames until one feels natural. You don't need to "pose" — calm and natural beats trying too hard, every time.
Mistakes that get an instant "no"
- Filters, retouching or beauty mode. A filtered photo gets a faster rejection than any blemish ever would. Turn every "smoothing" setting off.
- Heavy makeup. It hides exactly what a scout needs to see.
- Selfies and mirror shots. They distort your proportions.
- Dark, blurry or low-resolution images.
- Group photos where we can't tell which person is you.
- Only one angle. Send the full set, not a single picture.
How to send them
Send the photos at full quality (don't let a messaging app shrink them), in order, along with your basic details: height, bust / waist / hips, shoe size, hair and eye colour, age and city. At Andrews you can do all of this through our application form in a couple of minutes — and a real person will reply within seven days.
One promise that never changes: a real agency will never ask you for revealing, swimwear or lingerie photos to apply, and will never ask you to pay for a photoshoot first. Daylight phone photos in plain clothes are exactly right.
Ready? That's the whole secret
Digitals feel intimidating until you realise the entire point is honesty, not perfection. A window, your phone, four clear shots, and you're ready. When you are, we'd genuinely love to see them.
New to all of this? Read the complete guide to becoming a model in Ukraine — it walks through requirements, what happens after you apply, and every question new faces ask.