  We examine the $\gamma p$ photoproduction and the hadronic $\gamma \gamma$
total cross sections by means of a QCD eikonal model with a dynamical infrared
mass scale. In this model, where the dynamical gluon mass is the natural
regulator for the tree level gluon-gluon scattering, the $\gamma p$ and $\gamma
\gamma$ total cross sections are derived from the $pp$ and $\bar{p}p$ forward
scattering amplitudes assuming vector meson dominance and the additive quark
model. We show that the validity of the cross section factorization relation
$\sigma_{pp}/\sigma_{\gamma p}=\sigma_{\gamma p}/\sigma_{\gamma \gamma}$ is
fulfilled depending on the Monte Carlo model used to unfold the hadronic
$\gamma \gamma$ cross section data, and we discuss in detail the case of
$\sigma (\gamma \gamma \to hadrons)$ data with $W_{\gamma \gamma} > 10$ GeV
unfolded by the Monte Carlo generators PYTHIA and PHOJET. The data seems to
favor a mild dependence with the energy of the probability ($P_{had}$) that the
photon interacts as a hadron.
