Working with the Working Girls: Georgia

Over the years I’ve shot for a number of escort agencies in NYC. The flavor of agencies themselves have varied greatly. From Japanese massage type work where they needed pretty cliche glamour poses, a couple Russian mob groups where I’d have to shoot at hidden locations at 3am while I could hear the girls servicing clients in the next room and, most notoriously, for the two biggest agencies with which had to do with the falling of Governor Spitzer.

If any of you had followed that story, you’ll know that these weren’t the traditional image of say, like, a Time Square crack hooker from the 70s. These were totally modern, young, smart, mostly college educated, fashionable NY gals who were making RIDICULOUS money. The powers that be who threw this together had a knack for identifying not necessarily the most beautiful girls, (while they were always hot, of course) but certainly all possessing an all American accessibility. When I was asked why this group was so successful, my answer had always been that the guys dropping the cash for these ladies were newly successful guys buying the company of girls they knew in college (but possibly couldnt attain) or even high school.

I don’t know why I was hired. I never felt like I was the right man for the job as they generally wanted glitzy glamour shots that was then outside of my portfolio. But the girls liked shooting with me and the bosses knew I’d get the job done without any funny business. What they didn’t know is that they girls would invite me to go out, party and shoot outside of work. I’ll never forget a random phone call to come by the W at 4am to share about 12 bottles of Dom Perignon with two of the gals I had befriended and watch them roll around in the 18K they had made that day, all in the bed. All I was thinking is: “Ladies, you’re ruining those $100 bills”. But yeah, this life exists in NY.

Most of these shots I can’t ever show, they were given directly to the bosses. But every now and then I’d hit it off with the gals and they’d throw me a few frames after the shoot, sign the model releases and give me a kiss before they headed out the door to brave the jungle of NY and find their own stories. I’m still friends with many of these girls and feel privileged to have a window into the lives of our world’s oldest profession. I’ll be sharing some these portraits moving on. This is Georgia.