In the child modeling industry — the work never ends. There is always some new or different way to demonstrate your skills and yourself. One that is not often talked about is digitals or polaroids. These are natural photos that are supposed to show what a model truly looks like with no photoshop or stylized makeup. This is done in order for casting directors and others involved in the project to see exactly what the model looks like before they cast. The reason it is called polaroids was because it was typically taken on the spot with a polaroid camera to ensure nothing could be changed. Today they are typically taken with a digital camera, as is shown in the name. Digitals are a huge piece to getting casted as they are required. Your child model will need to learn the best ways to take these photos to maximize their potential. And that’s exactly what we’re here for — keep reading for the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for taking digitals.
The most important thing your child model can do is to simply submit the photo exactly the way the agency wants you to take it. They will send a list of expectations and they must be met. As digitals are simple photos this will really only affect the background and outfit. They may also ask your child to do a few poses so make sure they nail em’!
When your child model submits their digitals they will be in a digital format, so it is key that they are named correctly. This may seem simple but it is extremely important because casting directors are receiving 100s if not 1000s of images. It makes it all too easy for them to throw out any images that require even a hint of digging.
The true key to anything is confidence, however in digitals it’s even more important because it’s all they have to show. The point of digitals is to ensure that there are no tricks of the camera or makeup, your child must be completely natural. If they can see your child has extreme confidence while also being at their most vulnerable, it will go a long way.
While normally it is all about the glam and glitz, today is not the day. That does not mean you can pull your kid out of bed and turn on the camera, but they should have a very plain look. Don’t put their hair in pigtails or some type of fancy bun either to try and trick anyone. The key is to simply have their hair down and natural looking.
While you may be tempted to photograph your child from different angles, this is actually the wrong thing to do. Angles can often be used to trick the camera which is why you should never do it when taking digitals. Simply follow the rules as we stated earlier, and it will be smooth sailing.
While all of this sounds scary it really is as simple as it sounds. Just take the pictures as instructed, and don’t do anything extra. They only want to see your child as they are, the more you do the less likely they will get picked.
Now that you know everything there is to know about digitals, you can practice with your child model at home. Make sure to follow our tips and you’ll be booking in no time. At Bensimon Models and Talent we love helping you and your child learn the best ways to tackle the modeling industry. Now go get 'em!
