Sex Work Photography: Selling Authenticity

Non-sex workers (AKA civilians or "civs") think that sex work marketing is about one thing: tits and ass. We can't blame them because they believe what they've been taught to believe: Sex work is simply dehumanizing, unintelligent non-work that consists of sucking some D and spreading some P. They're taught that femmes who work in this industry are dirty, lesser than, exploited and the work is extremely easy, low effort and dangerous.

My goal has always been to break the fourth wall and communicate the fact that modern SW is very real, very difficult, very creative work. Today, with the assistance of sex worker and photographer Leo Brooklyn (https://www.leobrooklyn.com/), I'll be illustrating the work that goes into sex work photography while giving some advice that's hopefully useful to other in-person SWers regarding photoshoots and visual branding.

Selling Personality

In-person SW photography for companions is about personality​, not sex. Ok, that's partially a lie: We are​ selling sex but if we want to compete in today's highly saturated market, we must put an immense amount of effort into our SW marketing and tell a narrative story with our brands while separating ourselves from the 5k other companion profiles on NYC's Tryst.link.

A dude in NYC who wants mere sex can walk into any number of "spas" or brothels and get laid for under $150 so why do so many (mostly) gents seek out independent providers who charge a heck of a lot more than $150? They're seeking something that can't be replaced by AI (although the tech overlords surely will try to replace us): genuine human connection. A girlfriend, a companion, someone who truly sees them as human and provides a therapeutic experience.

You'd think that my focus on explaining the "work" aspect of SW on a client facing blog would break the fantasy most SWers work so hard to create. This marketing fantasy so many providers engage in signals, "I'm a mere horndog. I do SW because I'm horny. It's not a job for me." This Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind marketing clearly works for some but I'm passionate about humanizing and legitimizing SW so that maybe, one day in the far off future, we will be admired and exalted as powerful, Goddess-like creators.

Part of humanizing SW involves explaining the intricacies of sex work photography so civilians can begin to value us and our work. Additionally, I'd like to hopefully provide some useful information for other SWers based off my over 17 years of experience as a companion and kink provider. Yes, I have worked for corporations and currently work-from-home at a civ job. (Like most SWers, my experiences in life go beyond SW as an occupation and I say that because, sadly, SW isn't yet a respected way to make a living and I want you to respect me, darn it.)

Meet Maya Monet. We're available for kinky duos.

The Simplicity of the Male Gaze: Online SW vs Dominatrix vs GFE Imagery

Most of my experience is with kinky GFE/FSSW photography so I asked Leo Brooklyn via email about the different techniques she uses to shoot various types of SWers.

She writes, "I photograph dommes, escorts, webcam girls, and strippers. I also photograph burlesque performers and fetish models which are SW adjacent but not necessarily SWers. Many dommes cover a lot of skin and I photograph them in powerful positions. It's important to photograph them from a lower angle so they look dominant. I usually photograph escorts in a way that is soft and sexy and pretty and performative to the simplicity of the male gaze. Webcam girls can be a bit more playful. I rarely photograph strippers because they don't need online imagery but I love photographing them and I love to highlight their dance ability and athleticism and flexibility with dynamic poses inspired by pole."

Online SWers are frequently their own photographers so they become experts when it comes to shooting themselves. I'm always impressed with the lighting, posing and framing I see online content creators utilizing in their photos and generally, they're self taught.

Just the other day I was scrolling Bluesky and loved the colored lighting an online SW was using in her photo. I thought about DMing her to ask how the heck she made her butt light up like that while blue and purple hues danced in the background. The work that goes into online SW photography is impressive considering most aren't trained photographers.

Each branch of SW has it's own aesthetics and guidelines when it comes to visual marketing and this topic could be it's own blog post. Dommes who strictly dominate (and don't provide FS) will frequently feature male subs in their photographs, telling a very clear visual story about the types of experiences they offer. My personal favorite "dominatrix photo" is one in which a man wearing a gimp suit kneels before a devious looking domme who uses him as a footstool. It's hilarious and fun to watch gender roles reverse as a hot lady "uses" a man. Extra points if he's dressed in a little maid outfit atop the gimp suit.

This featuring use of male models isn't done in escort/FSSW/GFE marketing because, in my opinion, it ruins the viewer's fantasy that the provider is their "girlfriend." I've never seen a whole ass man in an escort/massage provider's photos except for one notoriously unbalanced provider who I wouldn't go to for marketing advice considering she scammed a ton of mutual aid for a BBL. (Yes, that happened. The SW world is wild.)

This doesn't apply to the SWers who are advertising as a couple offering cuckholding and other niche experiences.

All branches of sex work utilize the "femme on femme" photo. I am writing about my experience as a femme SWer so I have no input regarding NB and male SWers but I can tell you that photos featuring two ladies are great marketing tools because they catch the viewer off guard. Most SW photography features one person so throwing another lady into the mix is eye catching. It also opens the client's mind to the possibility of fulfilling their "2 girl" fantasies.

More Photoshoots = More $

When I first began dabbling in the dark erotic arts, I had no idea what I was doing and the SW Reddit/Twitter/online community didn't exist so I had to learn, as I did with everything in my SW life, the hard way. My first Craigslist ad featured maybe four embarrassing photos my college friend had taken of me in our gross dormitory basement because "rocker dingy hipster" was cool back in the day. Picture this: stubbed out cigarette, white wife beater, ripped jeans, perched atop a dirty washing machine trying to look nonchalant whilst staring off into the distance for some unknown reason.

That was all it took to make a ton of cash because the SW industry wasn't saturated 15 years ago and I was competing with maybe 20 providers and not 5,000.

In our modern sex work world, where "OF girl" is a ubiquitous term and it seems like every attractive femme is cashing in on their erotic power, most SWers put immense effort into brand cultivation. I can no longer skate by with low quality photos nor can I continue to reuse the same photos if I want to maximize profits.

One major mistake I made was not​ comprehending that times have changed and so must I. In the past, low quality photos worked and I didn't need to invest much thought or money into shoots. As I continued to chat with other SWers, lurk on Twitter spaces and read SW subreddits, I learned that some providers do a shoot once a month. Others shoot once every three or six months. Some swear that they only need new photos once a year. Some put no effort into their brands and shoot new photos once every eight years (and generally, IMHO, screw themselves out of profits).

I'm not kidding: The Vegas SWer who outed myself and other SWers to our families (amongst other sociopathic activities) only shoots new pro photos once every eight years. This is why she has so much free time to stalk and abuse other SWers. (Sorry, I had to. It was too easy. It wouldn't be a Rose B. blog if I didn't have a little fun at a predator's expense.)

My experience as a provider in NYC is as follows: The more professional photoshoots I do, the more clients I attract. Generally, the same guys are creeping on ad sites like Tryst and scroll past my older photos. Even three month old photos stop grabbing their attention because NYC is so saturated due to the three homebase feature Tryst implemented two years ago.

When I post new pix, they can't help but click on my ad and consider booking me. Like a child being handed a new toy, potential clients can't help but click on an advertisement featuring shiny new photos. This may not be necessary for providers in Idaho or smaller markets but since Tryst oversaturated their site by allowing providers who aren't anywhere near NYC to advertise here, markets like NYC have become even more overcrowded.

This is the pattern that I've noticed: New professional photos = new clients.

Pro photos signify, "I'm prosperous so I can afford to pay for many expensive photoshoots. Therefore, I must be a skilled provider." They also give that "model" feel to a provider's brand, making the SW seem like a coveted cover model.

My most popular photo on Tryst. Pink nips ablazing, frizz afrizzing, I would have never been able to predict that this photo would be popular.

Selfies Sell

It's not enough to feature only professional photos in my ads. Oddly enough, my most popular photo on Tryst is a selfie I took after rolling around with a sweet Saudi Arabian prince for two hours. My hair is a frizz ball, the hotel soap and trashcan are visible behind me and I'm wearing a $15 sheer robe from Amazon (because I refuse to invest money into session lingerie that will probably get ripped and stretched out). And yet, this photo has a higher CTR compared to my other photos.

Clients know that professional photos are edited, posed and feel less "authentic" compared to selfies. A selfie signifies, "I'm your horny girlfriend sending you personalized nudes" and helps to build that parasocial relationship with the viewer. Additionally, in today's inauthentic AI world, people crave authenticity. They're sick and tired of everyone online selling to them 24/7 which is, in my opinion, why I do so well financially: I'm clearly being my flawed, human self while blogging and posting on social media. Getting a bit messy with it, showing uncomfortable emotions, getting personal and going beyond the typical "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" sex work marketing is extremely appealing to many of my admirers.

We can be imperfect. We can have feelings and flaws and still do well for ourselves. In fact, I encourage other SWers to drop the Eternal Sunshine act for a bit and show some humanity. Now, there's a fine line and I obviously don't show my true unhinged self because it would probably break the internet (not in a cute way) and there'd be a SWAT team busting down my door. CSI would have a field day examining the rotting corpses of every Time Waster and Fantasy booker who dared to email me at 1 AM with a, "u avail?"

This isn't really red but it'll do. This is one of my most popular photos on Tryst.

Brand Colors: Wear Red

Marketing experts stress the importance of colors and color theory when it comes to branding. Choosing a few colors that represent who we are as providers and only wearing those colors in our photos can have a powerful subconscious effect on the viewer. It gives a feeling of familiarity, of "knowing" the provider if each time a viewer sees us we're maintaining a cohesive persona by wearing our brand colors. Red is a very attractive color, with multiple studies illustrating the fact that men and women who wear red are seen as more attractive. Red signifies confidence, passion, and focuses our attention. In the saturated SW world, attention is a priceless commodity.

Red is the perfect color for me because many of my admirers enjoy passionate women. Even if they haven't dabbled in kink or aren't interested in a Kinky GFE experience, they are still aroused by the idea of a woman who's sexually dominant at times. It gives, "Unabashedly horny" and draws their attention. My other brand colors are pink, white and black because I like them and genuinely don't wear any other colors in my civilian life. Green looks great on redheads so I occasionally break my own rules and wear a dash of green but it messes up the cohesiveness of my Instagram so I usually regret it.

That's another reason why I love sticking to a few "brand" colors: It makes my IG look super professional and "aesthetic," as the kids today say. If you don't believe me, finish reading this blog and I'll link my IG below so you can see how "aesthetic" she is.

Folks have told me that my prior blog posts are too long (at a ten minute read time... damn ya'll have no attention span!) so I'll finish writing about SW imagery in a second blog post. If you read this, please support me by liking, commenting and reposting my Bluesky post advertising this blog. I'm so grateful for those of you who give me your feedback and support me!

Please checkout the insanely talentedly powerhouse of a sex worker and photographer that is Leo Brooklyn! She's worked with Creepyyeha, Sweet Severine, and loads of other erotic icons so book your shoot with her today.

Behold: My totally "aesthetic" Instagram. It looked like trash before I began only using white, black, red and pink colors (with a dash of green).