So… I hosted my very first Hotties Magazine Shootout a couple of days ago (November 2nd, 2025), and I’m still kind of riding that high from it.
I’d been planning it for about a month, and I’m not gonna lie — I wasn’t sure what kind of response I was going to get when I first put it out there, but people locked in early and it was looking strong long before the day came.
We held it at Cre8tive Minds Studios, and the whole shoot was about two hours… but it flew by. The energy stayed up the entire time — lots of laughs, nonstop shooting, and cameras firing constantly while people circled around trying to catch the right angles. Once the posing got comfortable and the sets loosened up, there was a lot more skin showing and nobody was complaining about that.
For the very first model, I went straight to Arabella Cruz — because she’s the total package: 100% professional and smoking hot on top of that. She works naturally with photographers, keeps things relaxed, and knows exactly how to hold a pose just long enough for everyone to get their shot. And let’s just be honest — Arabella looks damn good naked. When the confidence shows and the model is comfortable, the photos come easy.
Truth is, I probably would’ve been hosting these shootouts years ago.
The only reason I didn’t is because my buddy Steve Waugh has been doing these for a long time, and I never wanted to step on his toes. I respect what he built, and I didn’t want it to feel like I was creeping into his lane.
But Steve gave me his blessing — without me even having to ask for it — and basically told me I should be doing my own. Once he said that, it was like… alright then. If the OG says it’s good, let’s go.
And I’m glad I did.
I met some brand new people at this one that already feel like regular friends now, which is honestly one of the coolest parts about doing this. It’s not just about the model or the photos — it’s the whole room coming together, and how fast strangers turn into familiar faces when you’re all creating at the same time.
This first one was a real win, and Arabella is absolutely somebody I’m going to use again and again — because when you find a model who’s that professional, that consistent, and that good at what she does… you don’t overthink it. You book her again.
I’ll be hosting more of these very soon, and I’m hoping they’re every bit as successful as this first one was.
If you’re interested in attending a future event, you can check the upcoming schedule here:
Hotties Magazine Shootout Meetup Group.
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