Polaroids are often the first thing modeling agencies ask to see, and the guide to taking digitals at home shows how to shoot a full set. This page covers the next step: what to send, how to describe yourself and how to submit. Agencies differ, so use it as general guidance and follow each agency’s own instructions.
What should polaroids for modeling agencies include?
Many agencies ask for recent photos that show how you look without styling. A typical request includes a headshot, a profile and a few full-length shots, taken in daylight against a plain background. Some ask for a smiling and a non-smiling version.
There is no single rule. Each agency sets its own list, and the list may change, so check the submission page of every agency you contact. If you are unsure what the word means, the difference between digitals and polaroids is explained separately.
Plan your outfit around the plainest option: fitted basics in a plain color, light makeup and hair that shows your face. You can find a shot-by-shot list in the model digitals checklist.
What stats should you give?
Agencies often ask for basic details alongside the photos, such as your height and measurements. Give them honestly, since they will see you in person if they go further. Measure yourself again before you apply, because they change over time.
Use a soft tape measure, stand naturally and measure over thin clothing. Give the measurements and units the form asks for, because the list differs between agencies. If the form has a field you cannot answer, leave a short note rather than guessing.
Keep your details consistent between the form, the email and the photos. Mismatched numbers are an easy way to lose trust before anyone has seen you.
How do you submit your photos?
Read the agency’s submission page first. Many use an online form and some use email, and the page may specify a file type, a size limit, a number of photos and how to name them. Follow those instructions exactly, since a form may reject files that do not match.
Name every file the same way, with your name first and the shot second, so the person reviewing the set can sort it without opening each photo. Send only the shots requested, in an order that makes sense. If email is allowed, write a short message with basics such as your name, location, age and height, and attach the photos.
Do not add filters, smoothing or heavy edits. Many agencies prefer photos that look like you, so a plain crop at most is typical, and when in doubt send the clearest frame as it came out of the phone.
Keep a copy of what you sent and the date. If you apply to more than one agency, keep a short list so you do not send the wrong set.
How do you take a fresh set at home?
If an agency asks for fresh polaroids, you can take them at home the same day. Set the phone upright and level at about chest height for the full-length shots, a little higher for the headshot, on the back camera’s 1x lens, facing a plain wall near a window. The only step that needs a second pair of hands is pressing the shutter.
An auto-shutter app takes that step over. ViaCamera is an iPhone app that takes the photo for you, with no timer, remote or Bluetooth clicker, and it takes real photos from your iPhone camera rather than generating images. For the headshot, AI-FACE mode fires when your face is in frame and your eyes are open, and for full-length shots, AI-BODY mode fires when it sees you in frame.
One tap on the shutter starts it, and it keeps taking photos each time it sees what the mode waits for, until you tap again to stop. That gives you several frames of each angle to choose from before you send.
What happens after you submit?
Replies vary from agency to agency. Some answer every application, while others only reply when they want to see more, so a quiet inbox is common. An agency that is interested may ask for more photos or invite you to meet in person.
If you do not hear back, there is no need to chase with repeated messages. Keep your set current, and apply again after a real change in your look or when the agency’s page invites new applications.
What are the red flags?
Many agencies are genuine, but some requests deserve caution. This is general advice, not a verdict on any particular company.
- Upfront fees for representation. The FTC says legitimate modeling agencies do not ask you to pay to be represented or for a test shoot. Be wary of anyone who does.
- Guarantees. No one can guarantee work or a salary, so treat promises of big pay as a warning sign.
- Pressure. Be careful with deadlines that rush you to pay or sign before you have thought it through.
- Unsolicited messages. An unexpected message from a stranger offering work is a reason to check before you reply.
- Odd payment methods. Requests for gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency are a warning sign.
- A required photographer. The FTC warns against agencies that make using their own photographer a condition of getting work. An agency should let you choose your own photographer, and for polaroids that can be you.
Search for the agency’s name, look for a real website and address, and ask questions before you share personal details. If something feels wrong, you can stop at any point. The FTC’s page on modeling scams, listed under Sources, explains more.
