My experience shooting to be June 2020’s Camstar

~ You can find all my links on my About Me ~

You can see my 2020 AVN June Camstar digital magazine here

As soon as the Camstar magazine came into being I knew I wanted to be one of the people to make it on a cover. Every month a different cam model from myfreecams is featured with an in-depth interview, as well as a behind the scenes video from the shoot. I dreamed of reaching those heights. I kept an eye on it for years and hounded any friends who were in it for their experience. I still feel so lucky that eventually, I got my chance.

I don’t think a lot of models know what to expect when showing up to shoot for Camstar. Some of us have never shot with professionals and most camgirls are used to the comfort of their own rooms and doing nearly everything solo. I hope that by sharing about my time there models who are interested can be less intimidated by the process. It might even satisfy some general curiosity.

Spoiler alert: I had an amazing time

Let’s skip past the part where I was asked to do Camstar, and scheduled the shooting month. As the shoot got closer I had a few phone calls with the creative director. When it comes to Camstar they want your personality to shine through. I came up with some ideas for some shoots and we discussed the potential sets. After we finalized some ideas the creative director sent me fleshed-out visual examples of what we talked about as well as some of their own ideas so I had plenty to choose from. At the same time, I was in contact with another person for travel and accommodation arrangements. All taken care of by Xbiz/Camstar. Separately, I had to fill out about twenty questions for the interview and was able to add any others I could think of.

My initial impression was that everyone working on this was serious and professional about their job while also being welcoming and down to earth. Since I usually work alone the energy of a project like this didn’t really hit me until I arrived on set. We went through several photo sets that day and filmed a video interview. I was a little surprised by how many people worked in the building. This burst my bubble in the best way. At home, my world feels pretty small. Here, I felt surrounded by people who were passionate creative, and fun.

I arrived on set early for what would be a 12hr+ day. They provided lunch and had tons of snacks, drinks, and coffee. I filled out paperwork and then got in the makeup chair. Hair, makeup, and even wardrobe are all provided. Though I did bring some of my own things to add. The creative director had already pulled over a dozen looks from their massive dream closet to choose from. I felt like a celebrity. After meeting everyone I was working with that day, including the photographer and videographer, we were ready to begin.

You can only be so prepared

Fueled by imposter syndrome I did my best to prepare for my Camstar shoot. I was working out, going through every beauty routine, and researching modeling poses on youtube. I wanted to feel like I belonged on set and that I knew what I was doing.

We started with some simple shots and I went through my tried and true poses and positions. I remember going over the little tricks in my head. Keep your tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth for a snatched jawline. Engage your core. One foot in front of the other. Soft hands, fingers closed, toes pointed. Look ever so slightly toward the top of the camera lens to make your eyes bigger. With all these things going through my head no wonder, I froze up.

I took a breath and re-centered myself. Sensing my hesitation, the photographer kindly helped me into some more poses and got me moving again. I reminded myself that I’d been in this industry for years. I belonged there and I knew what I was doing. My confidence rose and I remembered that at the end of the day what I wanted to translate in the photos was my energy and personality. Just have fun with it!

By the end of the day, I was exhausted but inspired. Even though I had an early flight the next day I couldn’t help but stay up for hours that night reliving every exciting moment. I thought back when I would gaze envious and awestruck at other Camstar’s. Now, I would be one of them.