Digitals and polaroids sound like two different things, but in practice they usually are not, and the guide to taking digitals at home covers how to shoot either. This page explains where each word comes from and what to send when an agency uses one of them. Agencies differ, so treat this as typical practice.
Are digitals and polaroids the same thing today?
Many people in modeling now use digitals and polaroids to mean the same set of plain photos. Both words describe unstyled pictures that show your face, shape and natural look. If an agency asks for either, you can usually send the same kind of set.
The details can still differ. Some agencies use one word and some the other, and a few use them with slightly different meanings. When in doubt, read the agency’s submission page, which often lists the exact shots it wants.
Where does the word “polaroids” come from?
The name comes from instant film. Before digital cameras, agencies often asked for quick photos on instant film because they developed in minutes. A polaroid was a quick picture of how someone looked, with little room for styling or retouching.
When digital cameras and phones replaced instant film, the habit stayed but the camera changed. “Digitals” became the name for the same kind of photo taken on a digital camera. The word polaroids stuck as a name for the purpose, which is why you still hear it today.
Digitals vs polaroids: how do they compare?
This table shows how the two words are typically used. It describes common practice, not a rule, so check each agency’s instructions.
| Question | Polaroids | Digitals |
|---|---|---|
| Where the name comes from | The instant film once used | Digital cameras and phones |
| Format | Originally an instant print, today usually a digital file | A digital file from a camera or phone |
| How they are shot today | Plain light, plain background, no styling | The same |
| What they show | Face, shape and natural look as they are now | The same |
| When they are asked for | As an application or an update, often before a meeting | The same |
The takeaway is that only the origin of the name differs. How the photos are shot, what they show and when they are asked for are usually the same.
What should you send when an agency asks for either?
Send a clear, current set that follows the agency’s instructions. Read its submission page first, because it may list the shots, the file type and how to send them. If the instructions are vague, a standard set is a safe starting point.
A standard set covers your face from the front, both sides and a three-quarter angle, then your full length from the front, side and back.
Wear fitted basics, keep makeup light and use daylight. Do not retouch or filter the photos. The model digitals checklist walks through the shots in detail.
Does it matter which word you use?
Not much, but it helps to match the agency’s wording. If its page says polaroids, call your set polaroids in your email, and the same for digitals. That small detail shows you read the instructions.
It matters more to follow the content of the request than the word. If the page asks for a particular shot, a particular file type or a particular way of sending, do exactly that. A set that follows the instructions but uses the other word is better than a set with the right word and the wrong shots.
If you are unsure what an agency means, look for examples on its site or reread the form. Most explain what they expect in a line or two. If it is still unclear after that, a short, polite question to the agency is fine.
What other names might you see?
Some agencies and casting forms use other words for the same photos, such as snaps, snapshots or natural photos. Others simply ask for recent, unretouched pictures without naming them. Treat any of these as a request for the same plain set, and follow the details the form gives.
How do you shoot them alone?
Whichever name the agency uses, you can shoot the set yourself with a phone, a plain wall and window light. The tricky part is the shutter, since you stand several steps from the phone for the full-length shots.
ViaCamera, an iPhone app, can press it for you, with no timer, remote or Bluetooth clicker. Use AI-FACE mode for the headshot, since it fires when your face is in frame and your eyes are open, and AI-BODY mode for the full-length shots, since it fires when it sees you in frame. These are real photos from your iPhone camera, not AI-generated, which matters for a set meant to show you as you are.
Tap the shutter once, and it keeps taking photos each time it sees what the mode waits for, until you tap again to stop. You can turn from front to side to back without walking back to the phone between angles.
Whichever word an agency uses, a plain, honest, current set is usually what it wants to see.
