What do you guys think? what kind of photo would be acceptable to the agency but not show anything which I could be identified with?
When I was new and naive, I sent off personal pictures that showed my face to one or two agencies when applying, and one agency went right ahead and stuck those photos on their site without even telling me. And all the pictures I sent are still out there, in the hands of God knows who, and it's a bit of an icky thought!
So with all sorts of horror stories in mind, I would recommend sending photos that are edited to hide your face and be covered in subtle but visible watermarking. You can Google "watermark app" to find programs that can do this to your pictures quickly and easily, or if you have Photoshop etc it's a simple case of putting semi-transparent text over your image.
The watermarking stops them from being able to put your pictures on their site. Watermark with a phrase like "do not put this picture on your website" or "this image is NOT for public or commercial use" etc.
You should hide your face because any decent agency will want to meet you (in a safe and public place) to check your looks and attitude - and answer all your questions - and so there's absolutely no need for anyone to risk their safety and privacy by sending identifiable pictures before even having met the agency owner.
Now, I'm pretty sure some agency owners will moan about the above, even if you explain clearly and patiently in your application that you are concerned about discretion. These are probably good people to avoid because a lack of respect for your concerns is a very bad sign. Better to know they think that way in advance!
But any sensible agency owner will be far more interested in a girl who seems smart and capable (remember, all they need is an escort who shows up to all her appointments, cos then they rake in the commission, the agency's rep improves, and everyone's happy), and you want to be working with sensible people. I remember when I was new, I thought agencies seemed so
official, like proper businesses(!) with their application forms and fancy websites. But they are illegal operations usually run by some random dude or woman who thinks, "OMG I can totes make loads of cash without even having to suck any peen myself! Awesome" and buys a nice site and puts up a few ads.
So be careful, okay? Get your own persoanl security buddy sorted, too - agencies are not as interested in your safety as they say they are, and will usually value their commission over it. You need to have someone else you can call for support (ideally a fellow working escort who'll really understand) if you end up in a tricky situation.