Best Photos of 2023 from Digital a-Go-Go Photography & Marketing

2023 is in the books and what a photobook it was for Digital a-Go-Go Photography & Marketing.

A total 61 formal photoshoots were done in bars and massage clubs across Bangkok, and that doesn’t include the many birthday, anniversary and full moon parties.

The total number of Digital a-Go-Go Photography images photos was too large to count but, at an average of 60-80 top-quality photos delivered from every shoot – not just 6-8 usable pictures that get reused over and over – that means about 5,000 photos were processed.

So how do you pick the 10 best Digital a-Go-Go Photography shots? You can’t. But we got it down to 13.

“Best” is both subjective and relative when it comes to photos. As a professional photo agency, Digital a-Go-Go Photography & Marketing often judges the “best” work based more on the technical aspects – how it’s composed and lit, the bokeh blur in the background, the skin tone – than how attractive the model is.

But, to make this list, the photo also had to evoke some feeling. So that’s why these baker’s dozen are our “favorites” at Digital a-Go-Go Photography; not necessarily the best.

This list is not ranked. The following Digital a-Go-Go Photography images are presented in chronological order of when they were shot by Digital a-Go-Go Photography & Marketing.

Dear from Butterflies – Jan. 12

Digital a-Go-Go Photography has been shooting Dear since 2017 and she’s the rare go-go girl that has gotten better looking over time. She has shed weight, instead of adding it, as she’s aged, and she looked sexier in her 2023 photos than she ever did.

This pose was one we first used in 2022 at Suzie Wong to good results, but Dear pulls this off better than any model we’ve tried the pose with.

Nikki from Billboard – Jan. 13

Nikki – pictured at the top of this page – has been a Billboard superstar for years and currently appears on the bar’s outdoor door vinyl and in posters on Billboard’s walls. This shot was super sexy but, alas, since it was taken Nikki has become a mother and won’t have this figure again.

The Indian Chief at Angelwitch – Feb. 2

Angelwitch girls are (in)famous for being unwilling to do photos. Since Digital a-Go-Go Photography first started shooting there in 2016, girls have either not posed or only would do so wearing masks.

There were exceptions to that from 2018-2019, but not many. This year’s photos were done as during a video shoot for Angelwitch shows and this colorful costume (even with the mask) stands out as being unique.

Red from Suzie Wong – March 3

Since taking over Suzie Wong in December 2022, Digital a-Go-Go Photography & Marketing not only added 6,000 new followers to its Facebook page in a year – versus only 900 total added in its first three years – we delivered more than 700 photos during 2023.

That does mean we shot many of the same ladies multiple times but “Red”, as we called her, appeared for this March shoot and was never seen again.

But her hair – and other asset – really made an impression. Like several of the photos in this list, this shot is in the official Digital a-Go-Go portfolio on our website.

Remembering Whiskey – March 4

The (now defunct) Whiskey & Go-Go makes the list thanks to this little lady who we also shot in the (now defunct) Blondie and Tycoon aGoGo. She’s the rare bargirl who clamors to pose every time and then uses the photos on her own Facebook to generate business. Smart girl.

The blue fairy lights at Whiskey made for a wonderful background, as shooting at an f/1.4 aperature creates fantastic bokeh. But, by March of this year, the bar was so run down that only half the blue lights worked.

Pole-Dancing May from Dollhouse – May 19

Of the more than 200 shots Digital a-Go-Go Photography delivered to Dollhouse over three shoots last spring, two really stood out. But cuts had to be made to get this list down to 13 so May’s pole-twirling got the nod.

She is a very skilled pole dancer and practices at a studio under the guidance of an instructor weekly. While chrome poles appear in many Digital a-Go-Go photos, this was the rare case where they were put to good use.

The Ladyboy Shot – Obsession July 25

This photo makes the old saying “the best-looking women in Thailand are really men” believable. Without us telling them the model is transgender, not a single person Digital a-Go-Go Photography ever showed it to guessed it was a ladyboy.

Big Smile at Tycoon – Aug. 18

Sure, this photo is technically perfect but the reason it’s a Digital a-Go-Go Photography favorite shot from Tycoon this past year is due to her smile. Her slim figure and sexy costume didn’t hurt, though. It was enough to land this shot in our portfolio.

Red Dragon – Aug. 30

Red Dragon in Nana Plaza is one of our favorite places to shoot. It’s large enough so that there are four good and different-looking places to shoot, making for varied backgrounds.

As such, more photos were shot in Red Dragon in 2023 than probably any other bar. So, choosing just one image was tough. But this shot combines technical perfection with a gorgeous lady correctly posed.

A key to portrait photography – really, any photography – is understanding the optics of your lens and how they affect the way a model looks.

The most-basic example of this is using wide-angle lenses for closeups; faces get fatter, limbs stretch and distorted and, on the edges, lines curve.

Longer portrait lenses create their own unique distortion of body parts. Position the model wrong and she ends up looking ridiculous, with elephantine feet and legs. Learning the science and physics of photography is what separates the pros from the button pushers.

Lucky at Mandarin – Oct. 25

The story of this photo was told on the Stickman Bangkok site last year. But it bears repeating. The story can be titled “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good”. And this shot was very lucky.

At the start of every shoot, we take a few test shots to ensure the lighting is right. Each shot is sent over Wi-Fi from the camera to a 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro where it’s much easier to judge if lights are too bright, too dim or angled wrongly.

When this shot came over, we was stunned. The original was, in fact, a bit overexposed on one side. After some editing, it came out like this. A keeper and one for the portfolio.

Shark Club – Nov. 9

We began shooting photos in Shark in June after management staged a “coup” to take back the bar from its longtime Thai mamsans and manager.

But it’s not a big place and its small aisles make setting up big lights a challenge. As such there are only two places to shoot: In the seats or at the stage. (That has changed now that Shark’s more-spacious upstairs bar has been renovated.)

So, like in equally small Suzie Wong, a lot of the photos appear the same over time. But this one from Nov. 9 shoot jumped out. Again, it’s a combination of pretty looks, atmospheric lighting and, in her case, some beautiful skin.

Som from Pink Panther – Dec. 9

Pink Panther has been on our wishlist for years, as it has a ton of pretty, young, slim, photogenic ladies working the poles.

The French manager is also an old friend for whom we did work for at both Bada Bing and Glamour when he was there years ago.

But Pink Panther’s owner turned down quotes from us a couple times in recent years, saying that had people doing photos for free. (We don’t do anything for free.) So, it was a pleasant surprise last month when the manager messaged out of the blue and he wanted to hire us to come in.

The result was 70 really special photos of the Pink Panther beauties, including this standout shot of Som, who also was featured in Dolly of the Day last month.

Sexy Santa at Shark – Dec. 10

This list would not be complete without a nod to the sleigh-full of “Sexy Santa” photos done last month.

Due to scheduling changes and a planned 10-day holiday at the end of December, we had to cram seven photoshoots and the Billboard-Butterflies Playmates party into nine days.

Five of those were Christmas photos that had to be processed immediately and put online. (Normally photos are processed in batches over several weeks.) Needless to say, by the plane took off on Dec. 20, exhaustion had set in.

Having said that, the Sexy Santa photos were fun and the girls, especially at Shark where the costumes were more cute than sexy, had fun wearing them, as is obvious in the joy this Santa’s Helper shows in her pretty dress.

Digital a-Go-Go Photography in 2024: Busier Than Ever

So what’s next? 2024 looks to be even busier than last year for Digital a-Go-Go Photography & Marketing with nine photoshoots on the schedule for this month alone.

So you can look forward to more Digital a-Go-Go Photography shots here and in Stickman throughout the year.

If you’re the owner or manager of a go-go bar, massage parlor, gentlemen’s club or even a regular pub and are interested in quality photography, large sets of “keeper” photos and comprehensive digital marketing and graphic design, see our website at DigitalAGoGo.com for more information or contact us at Info@DigitalAGoGo.com.