Transcript for Episode 073 – Art / Nude Model, Dominika Jandl (Czechia)

Recorded April 20, 2020
Published May 21, 2020

Full recording here: https://wisefoolpod.com/art-nude-model-dominika-jandlova-czechia/

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Matthew Dols 0:12
What aspect of the art world have I not touched on yet? If you know any arts attorneys, creative psychologists or any other profession that somehow touches the Venn diagram of the art world, get in touch with me. Are there questions that you have sitting around that you wish were answered in order to assist you in being more successful in your creative endeavors? Tell me, and I’ll reach out to those people and get them on the podcast. Send me an email at Matt ma TT at wise for pod.com or DM me on Instagram or Facebook. Give me some names and contacts and professional people that work in different aspects of the art world, so that I can help you be more successful in your creative endeavors. I would appreciate your support by becoming part of our Patreon account, you can find [email protected] slash the wise fool. If you’re enjoying the conversations and learning from the insights from our guests, I would appreciate a five star rating and Please tell your friends to listen and subscribe. Also, you can subscribe on Apple podcast, Google podcast, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. As much as it pains me, I’m trying to get better at my self promotion. So if after hearing this conversation, you want to know more about me and my artwork, please go to my website, Matthew dols.com, ma, tt, h e w do ls.com. If you want to know more about some of the people and businesses mentioned in this episode, links to them will be included in the show notes.

Please pronounce your name correctly for me.

Dominika Jandlova 2:02
So I’m Dominika. But I make a chore Domini.

Domini is what you go by. cuz I’ve also seen you out as coxy and other names throughout your different online presences. No, no, no, I don’t like this anymore. So I just use Domini. My real name. And one of the things I always wonder about people that come into the creative industries is sort of how they got to the creative industry. So, you know, for instance, did you have creative parents do some great teacher? I mean, I know your story about getting into modeling was through a friend but like, you know, was there any other influences to being creative prior to that? No, not really, it was it was just me. I was I was interested into the modeling and into the you know, visual art. And yeah, I just start to create in the art what and that’s the question. That’s one of the you know, the big questions, of course, is like, you’re working mostly in the sort of glamour nude genre. Yes, I am so bad. I always feel like I’m saying the wrong words to define these things. And keep in mind, my podcast is called the wise fool. So I make a fool of myself many times, so please just correct me or tell me where I’m wrong on anything. I’m wrong on. No, no, no, you’re right. You’re right. It’s, uh, it is glamour and Buddha are and, you know, our new torque. So that’s, that’s fine.

Matthew Dols 3:37
Okay, so art nude is the word you like for that kind of stuff as well. Yeah, I do like a mix of glamour and large nudes. So it’s a vocabulary thing. It’s a very much a specific trying to be use the right word instead of offend people.

Dominika Jandlova 3:54
Exactly.

Matthew Dols 3:58
All right. So let’s just start off with like, one of the big questions I always have when I talk to models is of course the nature of whether they like working more with male photographers or female photographers. Do you have some preference today? Do they comment the entire idea the approach differently? Oh, definitely. It’s different to work with female or male photographer. I don’t have a preference. I like to work with both. And females are a friend You know, they can be even more sometimes I find the female photographers they are more. I don’t know how to say like more central. When you’re hired by a photographer, sometimes they are desiring for you to be a collaborator in the process. So you, they sort of come up with certain amount of ideas, then you bring in certain abilities and techniques and ideas

versus sometimes when photographers basically just want you to Come in and just be a beautiful figure, whatever clothing or being in whatever location, but they don’t want your input at all, they just want you to do whatever they want is this, which of these is more common, which is less common?

Dominika Jandlova 5:18
Well, most common, in my case, it’s that they lead me to be creative, they tell me their ideas, and you know, what they expecting from the photoshoot? But they also let me do my thing. So, you know, so it’s, there will be like a part of both of us. So there’s not too many people who just telling me stay here, and, you know, like, rise up the one arm and, you know, stay on one leg and close the ice and whatever. It’s more like, really, they give me You know, they let it let it flow.

Matthew Dols 6:01
Now, just to be clear, how long have you been modeling?

Dominika Jandlova 6:04
over over 10 years, like 12 years, 13 years and, but a full time, it’s seven years?

Matthew Dols 6:14
Well, and that’s one of the big sort of interests that I have about modeling, because I’ve rarely heard of models being able to pull off full time work, it’s oftentimes a part time thing, they have a full time job they do modeling on the side. So how have you been able to sort of basically create a full time income stream on this? Like, what? Is it all modeling? Do you have other incomes from this? You know, I know you do a Patreon account things? Like, how do you juggle the, the different aspects of income to be able to pull this off?

Dominika Jandlova 6:52
Yeah, it’s definitely a combination of Patreon. And, you know, the private private bookings photoshoots, I do commercials as well. And traveling definitely, you know, when I can travel, that’s the most important thing, because then I can reach much more people than I will stay just in Czech Republic and waiting, if some photographers will come so. So I must travel a lot to make a lot of photoshoots to do you actually to be able to do it full time.

Matthew Dols 7:27
So when you started off, I’m sure you didn’t start off traveling? Or did you mean, tell me if

so how did it grow into becoming a traveling thing?

Dominika Jandlova 7:41
It was through agency, the agency helped me with the traveling because when I start I sign up with agency, and you know, they have the foreign clients as well. So they start to sending me whatever, and then I just make my own contact. Besides besides the agency’s clients. And one day, I just, you know, just try by myself, like started with the cermony. And you know, Austria, not not very far from from Czech Republic, and then it just slowly

getting bigger and bigger.

Matthew Dols 8:22
And so how many places have you traveled to now? Do you have like a list of things and or continent?

Dominika Jandlova 8:29
Well, not yet, but I always always wants to do it, because I’m, I’m wondering how many how many places have I already been? But I have it in my mind. And it was a lot. Yeah, I was like, like four continents and you know, like, and I would love to make a list, which all which cities and countries I’ve been already to see.

Matthew Dols 8:56
And then you mentioned also that you worked for an agency. So I’m also fascinated between the nature of like the agency working versus freelance working, I believe at this point. You’re freelance? Yes,

Dominika Jandlova 9:08
yes. But I still have an agency as well.

Matthew Dols 9:15
So what are the pros and cons of like having an agency versus being freelance

Dominika Jandlova 9:20
well the agencies usually have the biggest chops, you know, like the high brands you know, and this so if I want to do like more commercial and big things, it’s better to the agency because these big clients doesn’t usually book models directly. And the freelance freelance is more I working more with the artist with the freelance artists as well, you know, for the exhibitions and for, for private projects.

Matthew Dols 9:53
What and that’s a question I was thinking about before we got on here is like me as an artist. So I create my own artworks that I hopefully will be in museum someday actually already are in museums now cool. Anyways, that banks long, it’s a long story, but the, the, when I’m an artist and I and I’m thinking about a work of mine being in a museum or an institution of any sort like this, like I have a certain amount of pride and joy in that kind of thing, and it gains a certain amount of respect, like so for you as sort of the Muse or the the model the collaborator of this, like, how does it make you feel the idea that in the future, at some point, you may be in a museum as an example of a certain artists were acts as their muse, and you may be in the art history books as a, you know, the use of some great artists from history, kind of, like, Do you ever think about these kinds of things?

Dominika Jandlova 10:54
I do. I do, actually. And it’s kind of like a Treme, you know, I, I post for the for one artist who makes the statute of me. And this one, it was in Scotland, and this one all goes to the museum. So yeah, it’s it’s amazing to to, you know, if the statute will stay here for hundreds years, and you know, it’s it’s really amazing. And, yeah, I would love to do more and more this type of work, like paintings and sculpting.

Matthew Dols 11:27
Yeah, but they don’t pay as well.

Dominika Jandlova 11:31
As some some someday, someday. They pay, you know, but sometimes it’s a collaboration. It’s depends, you know,

Matthew Dols 11:41
Okay, wait, that vocabulary thing is a is an issue that I had. So keep in mind, I’m an American. I now live in Europe. And I in America, the term collaboration, and in Europe, the term collaboration seemed to be something slightly different. Like, in America, when I say collaborate, I don’t mean work for free. I mean, just work with me to create something. It’s simply a collaboration that whereas in Europe, if you use the word collaboration, it implies the idea of some one of the parties is going to or both is going to work for free. Yes, yes. Yes, it’s more common here. So I’m sometimes I’m confused about this, because you know, the people using this way or that way, so yeah, but I used to to call up the term collaboration more like both parts working for free. Or that that helps a lot because I made the mistake of when I arrived in Europe to do my first photo shoots, I use the word collaborate saying like, hey, I’d love to collaborate with your neck. Keep in mind, I had money to pay them for full day rates and everything like this. But But I use the word collaborate because I wanted them to be part of the collaborative process.

Thinking I met work for free, and they said no, they’re like, no, collaborate. I’m like, Oh,

Dominika Jandlova 13:11
yeah, that’s misunderstanding then. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 13:15
It was a besonders. It took me it took me like a year until finally some model. Oh, the word clock rate me work for free. And I’m like,

Dominika Jandlova 13:24
Okay. Yes, yes. But I prefer to use the collaboration as you using it because it is even if it’s paid, or if it’s for free, the cooperation it’s always a team people working together and creating the art. Okay,

Matthew Dols 13:43
speaking of teams, I have a I’ve got an ongoing question of do okay, so from your position, do models prefer to work for workshops, versus individual photoshoots? model photographers shoot, versus, you know, model or models, and you know, many people in a workshop shooting? Well, I personally get the feeling that models don’t enjoy the workshops as much as we think they do.

Dominika Jandlova 14:17
Well, depends sometimes I been on the really big workshops or shoot outs there was like a 30 models and 50 or or 80 photograph or a so it was really huge. And it was so fun, you know, because everybody almost everybody knows everybody and we you know, we chat because we know each other from social medias and you know, we finally met so we can talk and, and make a picture. So sometimes it can be fun, sometimes it’s really tiring. But I like I like to these big, big group shoots sometimes not every day. So I’m more preferred the one on one work where it’s more time to follow On the actual project, and, you know, with only whether one photograph or at the time.

Matthew Dols 15:08
Yeah, I mean, because it seems like it would be it would sort of divide your attention if you’ve got so many different people involved so many different people giving directions, things like that, that to me that, like, even for me as a photographer, I’ve only done one workshop like that. And I found it sort of almost a little stressful, like, Oh, my God, I want to use this model to create my little thing, but you’re Yes.

His time in doing this other thing, and, and then by the time you get them, you lose the light, and then you lose the you know, it’s just like,

Dominika Jandlova 15:42
it’s challenging. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 15:46
And that way, within that, that kind of thing. Actually, I have, I have a big question, too, is like, do you see differences in the professional ism, like, the aesthetics, the concepts and stuff like this between different regions, because you’ve traveled around the world now, I’ve done the United States, I’ve done the Middle East, and I’ve done Europe, but you’ve gone even farther. So like, Is there something that you’ve noticed that sort of, they want different things or expect different things or they create different things, so like, the different even different intentions and outcomes between different regions,

Dominika Jandlova 16:24
it’s definitely different in on each place where I’ve been, but I would say like, you know, the, the our days when I work with, they are not like, different because it’s a different nationality. It’s just because it’s a different artist, you know, so I didn’t really find out the differences between what a want to shoot in Europe, or what do you want to shoot in us? So I would say I work mostly with like a, like, similar type of people. You know, it’s like, really? Yeah, it’s an artist, like painters, or photographs of who they are, or art nudes, or, you know, so not not, not that big difference.

Matthew Dols 17:18
When I arrived in Europe, showed my portfolio people, they just thought, Oh, you’re American. My images seem to have some specific style that was very American to the European aesthetic, which I was just like, Oh, okay.

Dominika Jandlova 17:36
Yeah. Oh, yes. Yes. I mean, like, there is a style what you know, of the, you know, some some photographers when I can really tell like, Oh, yeah, this is the America site, you know, American style, but the people I work with, it’s like, I don’t know, I didn’t find the their friends that much.

Matthew Dols 17:57
You mentioned painters and sculptors Have you done a lot of work with painters and sculptors or any other mediums other than photography and video, which to me are sort of the same.

Dominika Jandlova 18:08
I did some work I post for the you know, drawing classes and be Muse for a painter or sculptor but not as much as I would like to there is more more photographic still photographic work. I really enjoying the you know, like the the film industrial swell, but it’s not. You know, it’s it’s, it’s really hard to get in. So, so I doing I think most the still photography.

Matthew Dols 18:39
Yeah. Because I mean, when it comes to the idea of nude filming it there’s a super fine line between sort of creative Fine Arts expressive ideas. porn, like clearly.

Dominika Jandlova 18:54
Yes, yes. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 18:56
I was like, surely difficult to raw.

Dominika Jandlova 18:58
Yeah. Oh, yeah. But I mean, the film industry like real movies. Because, you know,

Matthew Dols 19:06
yeah, like a marketing. Play artistic movies.

Dominika Jandlova 19:10
Yeah, man. It can’t be altered are. We like yeah, you know, you know what I mean? Yeah. But I don’t I don’t

Matthew Dols 19:20
like mainstream acting.

Dominika Jandlova 19:23
Yes. Okay. Okay, good. That’s the worst. And yeah, I did. I did a lot of like, video project as well, which can be creative. But yeah, you have to be careful, exactly. To don’t cross the line. So it doesn’t looks more than I would like to.

Matthew Dols 19:46
I would imagine that you’re approached with a lot of things that are over a line that you’re willing. Oh,

Dominika Jandlova 19:51
yeah. Yeah, unfortunately. Yeah, sometimes.

Matthew Dols 19:57
I see like, I feel bad as the as a A male photographer, I represent all other male photographers. So when I work with models or engaged with models, I try to be like, super professional, super, like, communicative. Don’t touch, like me all kinds of hard, fast rules that I’ve created. Because I feel like I should be making amends for all the horrible perverted photography photographers in the world.

Dominika Jandlova 20:28
Yeah, that’s really nice from you. Yes. Yeah, I wish there are some more people like you.

Matthew Dols 20:36
Yes, I wish there were less of them. So I didn’t feel the need for horrible position that they put male Yes, for them. But

Dominika Jandlova 20:46
yes, yes, that will be great. I think it’s getting better right now. Like, in the beginning, you know, it was slow, worse. But right now, like, everybody, almost everybody gets crazy. And they trying to create something so they are more respectful. And with all the social media, you know, yeah. So they can’t risk it to get a bad reputation. So

Matthew Dols 21:17
well, that’s an interesting point is like with social media, the the both good and bad reputations of everybody involved. So whether it’s hair and makeup, or photographer or model sort of exponentially becomes faster and more widespread. If you if you get a bad reputation, or if I got a bad reputation, it will never go away. Because now it’s the internet. And now.

Dominika Jandlova 21:45
Yes, it’s quite scary. Yeah, it is. It is. It’s one mistake. And yeah, it can be ruined everything.

Matthew Dols 21:53
And this is something I’m also a professor, I teach art. And I’m always telling my students, I’m like, your reputation in the creative industry is everything. Yes, if you make one bad job, your entire, uh, you know, 10 years 15 year career could be wiped out with one bad job.

Dominika Jandlova 22:14
Hmm. That’s, that’s so true. Unfortunately,

Matthew Dols 22:19
it’s just sad to me. I’m sorry about that. Okay. Social media, fascinated with social media. You seem to use social media very well and very much to your benefit. But I always wonder, for the amount of time and effort and anxiety that participating in social media creates I do you see a, we’ll call it like a technical term, like return on investment. So like, for the amount of time you put in? Do you get booked bigger, better jobs kind of thing? Or has it does? Is there a point where it’s not working? Well?

Dominika Jandlova 23:00
Well, no, yeah, I think you can really see the time and the work what you put on your social media, how to how I promote myself and I can see the benefits of more more clients, you know, more the brands want to, to work with me or, or or collaborating with me. And so it’s it’s definitely, you know, that this promoting through the social media. It’s, it works. Yeah. But I tried to don’t spend too much time on it. Because, you know, I just, I like the real life too. So I’m trying to do like a, you know, how for, you know, less than half actually.

No less than, okay.

Matthew Dols 23:54
How much time do you put in on average, towards social media, let’s say a week,

Dominika Jandlova 24:01
I would say a day because, you know, a week, it’s depends, but it’s like from two to two, four hours a day. Yeah. But it’s it’s not enough. You know, I know that. I know, the more or less who’d like sitting on the computer and do the things for eight hours a day, so I’m not really good at it. I should be even more. Yeah. You know, but it’s takes so much time so you can enjoy the real life after all. So,

Matthew Dols 24:36
yeah, I have to admit, that’s a lot more time than I expected you to?

Dominika Jandlova 24:41
Oh, yes.

Matthew Dols 24:44
You’re saying on average, four hours a day, two to four hours a day you think? Yes,

Dominika Jandlova 24:49
yes. Yes. Time. It is a lot of time. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 24:55
But if you take it back and think that basically you’re a brand You’re a brand, and you have to do the marketing for the brand. And so you’re basically putting, let’s see, so that’s 25% of your work day, like an eight hour day into marketing and publicity and public relations for your brand. Because you’re talking not just posting stuff, but you’re also talking about communications with people and all this kind of stuff, right?

Dominika Jandlova 25:22
Yes, yes. Yes. planning the trips, and you know, like, emails, everything. patreon content and editing picture and taking. Yeah, the recording podcast. Yeah. So I will include one hour more for today.

Matthew Dols 25:43
Yeah. Have you ever done a podcast before? No,

Dominika Jandlova 25:46
no, this is my first time.

Matthew Dols 25:49
Yeah, I hope this is enjoyable by the time it’s interesting. It’s just meant to be like, the way I’ve structured this podcast, every podcast is a little bit different. It’s just a conversation about two people in an industry and their relationships and their experiences. And that’s it simple.

Dominika Jandlova 26:11
Yeah, people learn.

Matthew Dols 26:13
Yeah. Yeah, I’m not a journalist. I don’t have like some agenda. I’m asking for it.

Dominika Jandlova 26:19
Okay, this cool.

Matthew Dols 26:21
So, still interested in social media? I am horrible at social media. So how did you even figure out how to use it? Well, like, because like, I’m at a loss of even because everybody gives you like, the stupid Oh, like how to be successful here. The hashtag, get you found all this kind of crap? Like, it doesn’t work? Like I know, it doesn’t work. What are some, what have you done that you believe does work,

Dominika Jandlova 26:52
I think definitely works. When when I work with the, you know, well known, and people and you know, good, good artists and cooperation with other models. Yeah, and crate crate, like a fairly good staff. So people actually get interested into it. And yeah, and be active on social media that works.

Matthew Dols 27:19
Okay, now, I’ve been following you for years, because we were supposed to work together years ago, it didn’t work out. But anyways, that your, your social media seems to be more where you post only or primarily professional images of you. Whereas I’ve seen other models that they do post their professional images, but they also post personal stuff. So you’ve chosen to sort of come towards to, you know, go into this mostly, only showing the professional sort of perspective of your career, was that a conscious choice on your part to say, I’m not going to show personal versions of things or private life things things like this.

Dominika Jandlova 28:07
actually know, the beginning guy was trying to make sense, but it’s just doesn’t doesn’t look stet attractive when it’s like a mix of the, you know, the professional pictures and you know, like daily daily life stuff, and the people doesn’t seem to be to interest into daily life posts. So yeah, I created another account for for my travels. And for my, for my more private, you know, photos, so I just keep this one more professional by posting some stuff into the Instagram story. Like, just to show I’m real person, I’m not just you know, the girl from the picture.

Matthew Dols 28:52
Yeah, and that that makes me wonder, like, how does does okay? Does being a model that does nude so it’s not even just being a model, but a model that does news does that affect your private life?

Dominika Jandlova 29:07
In some ways? Yes. Because, you know, like,

Matthew Dols 29:12
I wonder about, like, even what I wonder about, like family relations, friends and then relationships with you know, actual I don’t know how to say it. partnerships.

Dominika Jandlova 29:25
Yeah. relationships. partner. Yeah. The

Matthew Dols 29:31
I don’t know which way you swing. I didn’t want to make assumptions. So

Dominika Jandlova 29:35
no, that’s fine. That’s fine. Yeah, no, I’m lucky because my partner he knew it before before we we actually start to be together so she asked me everything guys. I tell him everything. And then he went with me to a photo shoots he met some photographers so he see how it how it works and and it’s definitely Question of trust. So he trusts me that I’m not doing anything wrong. So, so he’s find that so we are together almost 12 years right now so, so he’s fine. Thank you. Thank you and, and my family it’s supporting. So that’s that’s really nice. Like, I even have my great grandmother, she just celebrate 103 years. And she even have my playboy at home and she always telling me Oh, I wish I’m younger, I will do the same. So so my family it’s it’s really supporting with this. So I’m, I’m really happy. And lucky about this.

Matthew Dols 30:47
That’s a very supportive family. Indeed, yes,

Dominika Jandlova 30:49
yes. Yes. Just made a friends. It’s a bit, you know, because they don’t really know. They don’t know what the Think about it. Some good friends. They do. But you know, the people around they just like, they sometimes thinking like, I’m doing something wrong. So, but they still talk to me, so that’s fine. But of course, I you know, because some I heard the story when actually the people stopped talking to that, you know, the mandalas from the neighborhoods because they just think they are I don’t know what’s you know? I don’t know what to even think. But

Matthew Dols 31:32
yeah, well, that’s the thing is like, what do you what, why is that person certainly not worth being a friend just

Dominika Jandlova 31:39
to show body? Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I don’t know. But I had some argues because I moved from from Prague, to the, to the south, Bohemia. So and it’s a small, small, you know, village here. So everybody knows everybody. And when I came here, the first thing was like, oh, some, some girl from Prague, come here. And then they find out what I’m actually doing. So it was kind of like a big thing here. Because everybody freaked out like, Oh, no, like, Who is she? And what, you know, like, they even trying like a boost, put my pictures, make it pictures around, you know, just to show the other people. So it was about this was 10 years ago, but right now, they used to it already. So they just get crazy. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 32:32
Really at that point? Yeah.

Dominika Jandlova 32:37
Yes,

Matthew Dols 32:38
I know, I come from America. And in America, there’s a much stronger stigma against any sort of sexualization of imagery and things like this kind of stuff. But in Europe, there’s a much sort of more evolved perspective on sort of human body kind of artworks and the imagery and things like this. I mean, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had this discussion with other Americans about like, did they think anything that’s naked is porn? Europe, it’s much more progressive ideas.

Dominika Jandlova 33:15
Yes, yes. Yes. Yeah, I agree with it. Yeah. Yes. So the European are much, much more open. But it’s, you know, in the big cities in the small, smaller cities, it’s can be really, it could be problem too.

Matthew Dols 33:32
Yeah, I can see that. Sure. So and I don’t take and don’t take this question like personally, but like, modeling as a general whole generally has a timeline where like, you’re going to be at the top of the game, your body’s going to be able to keep its beauty and everything like this. So do you have any expectations, any ideas of sort of how your career and your future is going to evolve? Are you know, like, I know a lot of models that either pick up the camera at some point and certainly photographer because they’ve learned so much. I know many they get into maybe being an agent or an agency or something like this. Like, how do you see your career sort of evolving?

Dominika Jandlova 34:20
Hello, Kitty, cat. I do I do. She’s filoli is a sheet. Oh, good. Well, I have 11 kids, so they waiting for me outside? Yeah, yeah, that’s

Matthew Dols 34:39
we have three three is enough.

Dominika Jandlova 34:42
Yes, I can imagine. Yeah, but this is the this is kind of the way what I want to go it’s, it’s the work with the animals. So I would like to make the money from our link, get, you know, a little bit better known so I can actually Help to the animals better. And then I would like to have my own shelter. So I still would like to kind of stay in the end industry, but I don’t want to be agent and I don’t want to be photographer, but somehow I still want to be, but I still figuring, you know, we need to figure it out.

Matthew Dols 35:22
So, you have time, it’s not like it’s gonna happen tomorrow,

Dominika Jandlova 35:26
hopefully not.

Matthew Dols 35:29
And along that line, like so, like how much pressure like, of course, everybody feels pressure to be their most beautiful self visually. I mean, there’s, you know, since that’s the medium you work in, but I feel like you must have exponentially more pressure to like, be constantly beautiful to keep your weight the same to have, you know, beautiful skin all the time. Like, does it get difficult?

Dominika Jandlova 35:57
Yes, for me, yes. Because I really like to work outside. And, you know, with the animals, and you can be really, you know, clean and beautiful with a nice hair and nails when you you know, clean up the chicken the key, you know, chicken houses. But you know, and waiting for call that someone can call me like, hey, tomorrow, it’s a photoshoot for you know, some brand or whatever, you have to be ready. So it’s, it’s Yeah, it’s it’s, it’s difficult to stay, you know, still prepared.

Matthew Dols 36:36
Oh, yeah. I mean, I’ve had plenty of models show up with, you know, issues with their skin on their face or scratches and because they play sports and bruises and things like this, like, there’s certain things that I sort of feel like you’d like, by choosing the life of being a model, you are sort of say also saying, okay, I can’t either, either. I have to designate time away to allow myself to get hurt to do these things, and then come back to modeling. Or something like, yeah, I have lots of models that show up in bruises and scrapes from playing sports.

Dominika Jandlova 37:11
Yes, yes. I have it from cats, actually. You know, the scratches all over. But I always tried to be careful to don’t hurt myself too much. So I will still be able to work. So yeah,

Matthew Dols 37:29
but the the general anxiety I would imagine that you have of you know, even just like keeping fit, like I’m the worst. I barely go to the gym. I’m horrible with it. I mean, I’m doing better. I lost 20 kilos in the last year or so. Like, I’m working on it. Yeah. But, but like you, it literally is your profession to, you must keep you know, yourself or whatever, fit whatever you want to call it. I don’t know. I feel like that that’s a very difficult life. Like because you’re, your body is your brand. And you’ve got to keep it up. Like you have to you have to maintain that constantly. because like you said, like, you can get somebody calling you and say, Hey, we need you tomorrow so that you can put on a couple kilos here. Work them off before I get hired again, like, literally have to do it all day, every day. Does that get tiring?

Dominika Jandlova 38:34
Sometimes Sometimes, but it’s good because it’s keep me to something so I’m not get lazy, you know, and I still think about it. And what really helps me it’s it’s what it’s what I’m eating because I’m vegan, and I am celiac, so I don’t I don’t eat gluten. So that helps me a lot. So it helps me to eat really healthy and I love to healthy food. I grow my own vegetables and fruits. So you know, so that that really helps to, to I don’t need to junk food and I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t smoke. And I actually, you know, work around the house and around the animals. It’s keep me up for like 1212 hours a day. I was just literally running around the house, go round with dogs, you know, so, so I’m barely sitting down on the whole day when I’m at home. So that that really helps to you know, just stay fit,

Matthew Dols 39:35
I imagine.

Dominika Jandlova 39:37
Yeah, yeah.

Matthew Dols 39:42
Oftentimes, artists talk about their muses, and what I’m interested in it’s the other side of it like so for you as the subject of artwork. Do you have artists who you feel like you make better Work with like, the they are your muses to bring out your best work.

Dominika Jandlova 40:06
Of course, yeah, I get inspired from from other models work, you know, or, you know, to work with the, like a hard to say, you know that the kraid photographers like, you know, the, what I work with that that’s, that’s, that’s really inspiring, you know, when I when I see the good work of the photographers, so I knew we will do something good together. So you know, it’s gives me the cake. And you know,

Matthew Dols 40:41
within the history of the the mediums, so it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if we’re talking painting, photography, whatever. If you had a choice of being the model muse of any artist you’ve ever either known or heard of so living or dead don’t care. Who would you choose?

Dominika Jandlova 41:01
I think I would choose stuffing ci. painter. Yeah. Because, you know, to to get to be one of the Mona Lisa portrayed, you know, in the louver, there will be something

Matthew Dols 41:20
certainly, now that you’re you know, now that you are a full time professional model, how do you what is your income streams? Like, you know, as an outsider, we all think it’s from well, modeling, like 100% of your income. Is that 100% of your income?

Dominika Jandlova 41:39
Yeah, yeah, it is. Wow, it is. It is. It’s, you know, like it’s the working with the photographers or Patreon. So it’s what it’s all about the modeling. Yes. So that’s my main. That’s my main and only income.

Matthew Dols 41:57
I understand. It’s all for modeling. But like within modeling, it’s not always just booking fees and things like this, like there. Are there other income streams that come in, so that you mentioned Patreon? Do you like do you have in some sponsors on Instagram or anything like this? Like, is there other ways that the money comes in? Other than just photoshoot booking?

Dominika Jandlova 42:18
Oh, yes, yes, definitely. It’s it’s some let’s not too much from Instagram now, but there’s some sponsors. But yeah, so it’s, um, it’s a mixed Yeah, add Patreon. And sometimes I too, you know, I helping the photographers, the foreign photographers who coming to to Europe, you know, to organize the photoshoots organize the models,

Matthew Dols 42:43
so you do some coordinations and things like that.

Dominika Jandlova 42:47
Yes, sometimes, but yeah. Sometimes it’s fine. But I couldn’t imagine to do it like a full time. I guess it’s so much pressure.

Matthew Dols 42:58
Yeah, it’s like herding cats, and with a series of unknowns because of locations and weather. stuff. So yeah. Okay. So let’s imagine that there’s a young model out there listening to this podcast, if you had some advice for them, to assist them in getting into becoming the next you. So like, generation, in a decade from now they can be at the same place that you are in your career. What kind of things would you encourage them to do? Partly, but also partly what would you encourage them to stay away from doing so? Like maybe some mistakes that you made or some problems that you had, as you were sort of growing your career?

Dominika Jandlova 43:42
Yeah, yeah, they definitely should be careful, because the people trying to get advantage of the unexperienced model, you know, so they’re, it’s a lot of bet people, even agencies, I been in the bed agencies as well. So they they definitely should always check the backgrounds or off whatever they go if it’s casting or if it’s clients or if it’s, you know, like photo shoots or whatever the work so they definitely should do the good background check, talk with the other models to ask, you know, if they know this people or and they should have their limits, you know, what they will not to cross even if someone will push and they will push so, you know, so just be aware don’t trust too much do people unfortunately, because it’s can be problem. Yeah, it’s Yeah, they should trust themselves. Definitely. And, you know, do do much photoshoots Take care, you know, even the cooperation for free but It’s better to choose photographers with already some experience not to do you know, I think the amateur photographers should should do photo shoots with proffessionals models, because then he gets better results. And the amateur models should work with more experienced photographers to, you know, to get to experience. And, you know, that’s surely the pictures for the portfolio.

Matthew Dols 45:25
Yeah. Were there any parts of your career that you were like, Oh, I wish I hadn’t done that thing. Or I wish somebody had given me this advice before I made this mistake. Whatever.

Dominika Jandlova 45:36
Yes, yes, it was few unfortunately. And, but it but I learned from it.

Matthew Dols 45:45
Yeah, don’t name names. Just Yeah,

Dominika Jandlova 45:47
no, no, some stories? Oh, well.

Yeah, no, I also mentioned, you know, the agencies and you know, the casting. So sometimes, few times, you know, I’ve been sent to, to to do some some castings, or, you know, photo shoots, and I didn’t do the check. You know, and I just went there, because I just was exciting about a photo shoots, and I will get paid for it. And then that it was actually something else. And I’m supposed to do there. So it was it was really, you know, like, yeah, so. Okay.

Matthew Dols 46:25
Well, that brings up a great question that I’ve asked a number of people about this. And I want to know, your insight on this. from a perspective, so keeping my you’re a freelance model as a general, so you’re a freelance model? What is the appropriate way that a client should contact you? So like, what information would you want them to offer to you to get to the communication rolling effect?

Dominika Jandlova 46:53
Yeah, it’s definitely should, he should introduce himself declined, you know, should say like, he, or she, I mean, like, the terminal clients, you know, it could be company can be individual or her he or she introduce themselves and say the details about the photoshoots? Or about the work, you know, what, explain what’s going on, when it’s supposed to happen, you know, how long and whatever, you know, and, yeah, that’s it, because sometimes I just get the messages, you know, like on Instagram, it’s like, hey, do you want to shoot? Or, you know, like, say, Well, yeah, but I should get some more information, you know, they they barely introduce themselves, you know,

Matthew Dols 47:44
it’s true, that we are photographers are horrible. But what I’m trying to get to is, like, when you get a thing, like, do you want reference photos Do you want like, so like, I want to shoot in this location, and some pictures of it, or I want to shoot something like this and show pictures of some other things that are sort of inspiring the shoot? Or do you want just like facts and data? So like dislocation this time? You know, so like, Is it more mood and visual? Or do you prefer more like text and just sort of information?

Dominika Jandlova 48:24
I like both. So it’s, you know, because the mood, the mood gives me the idea. So I can, I can be better prepared. But I like the facts and facts. And you know, like, the short charts or messages just, Hey, you know, I’m debt and debt. And this is the location, this is the time and this is the timeframe. And, you know, this is the theme, this is the mood board. So, you know, some, some kind of combination of these two, right? Okay,

Matthew Dols 48:55
I’m gonna go even further into this, because because, like, from my own experiences, I’ve never found the right balance of how to do this with a model. So please, you know, your insight advices is useful here. How much I like a mood board. I’ve never really understood a mood board other than the fact that it’s expressing the mood, I get that. But, like, for me, when I picture a shoot, I’m picturing very specific poses, in very specific clothing in very specific lighting in very specific locations. Like I can sort of visualize all of that. And of course, now I know that any given model is not going to literally reproduce a pose from another model. But do you like it when you get an inspirational pose to sort of help you or does that sort of throw you off and make you feel like you should be doing something that you’re not?

Dominika Jandlova 49:54
I’m okay with it. Yeah, I sometimes I like it, because it You know, it helps me to to get into the photographer’s ideas better than he, if he will try to explain it to me so but but because I will, I will didn’t try to to reproduce the same thing, I will just do it by my way, but at least it will be similar or you know, in that mood what he wants to so so I definitely don’t mind if he brings, you know, some, some others work to show total Change of topic. But

Matthew Dols 50:34
another thing that sort of fascinates me, right you do, I’ve seen your work, you do fashion, you do glamour, and you do nude, if you had a personal choice of like doing only one of those for the rest of your career, which would you choose to be? Or you can give me a hierarchy, you can say number one, number two, number three, or even add some other ones in that I didn’t mention.

Dominika Jandlova 50:58
Okay. Okay. Well, I will probably stay with the with the with the lunch tree and central central work, glamour. Yeah. Number one,

Matthew Dols 51:10
then, then faction versus nude, what would you What would you rank their

Dominika Jandlova 51:15
fashion because fashion can be new to like, good, nude fashion.

Matthew Dols 51:25
I’m good with that. I love that. I mean, I’m a huge fan of like Helmut Newton, and that whole woofer of styles. Like I’m a big fan of that stuff. So I’m, I totally understand where you’re coming from. Alright, the last little bit that I sort of want to get into is sort of like, how do you the money? Like the pricing? How do you how did how did you come to your original pricing? And then how did how did that evolve? And of course, like, how are you now because I know, of course, when you’re younger, a price is different. And then the more experience you have, the price gets higher. But then there’s also more that you offer. So they do you do you also offer additional elements to it to say, Oh, I can also do the makeup and hair and all this kind of stuff like I mean, and how much? How? How much do you want to be doing all that?

Dominika Jandlova 52:22
You don’t want the exact numbers, I hope?

Matthew Dols 52:27
No, I’m not sure. Like, your exact numbers, but like, how did you come to it? Like, did you confer with other models? Did you talk to your agencies? Like were your agencies? Right? Because I could imagine agencies were wrong. Yeah. Did you learn from them? And then make your own decisions? Like so like, how does that pricing structure come about?

Dominika Jandlova 52:53
Well, I learned from Yeah, from other models from agencies, and you know, from the productions who contact me for work, so I sold they are prices as well, of course, so and then, you know, somehow I calculated how much you know, you know, I have to calculate it, like, how much, you know, you calculated? Well, it’s, it’s, well, yeah, it was a long process, you know, from the beginning. You know, with the experience with the meeting, different people, I, you know, I just see how much it cost me to get to the photoshoot and you know, how much I have to bring. And then I know, the prices of other models of prices of the agencies, and I just, you know, you know, and sometimes it’s dealing with the people, you know, just, you know, we talk about it, what, what’s, what’s the offer, what’s what, what’s the, you know, what’s good for me, and just to be good for both sides.

Matthew Dols 54:00
I’ve never negotiated with a model, like, they tell me their price, and either I can pay or I can’t and I don’t negotiate. So like, because I take the position that you have done these numbers, and you know what’s right for you and all this. However, I know a lot of photographers that feel that it that they are trying to get the best model at the cheapest price, and they negotiate a lot. Does that happen to you a lot.

Dominika Jandlova 54:27
It’s happened to you to me, but not a lot. It happens to me sometimes, but usually the people are expectable. And you know, they just want to pay me what what I asked for because they knew us what you said, you know, like, you know, sometimes sometimes it’s just, it’s happened. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 54:51
So with the structure that you’ve come up with, so you have an amount of money that you’re paid. How many days a month do you actually do shoots

Dominika Jandlova 55:00
I travel a lot. So I’ve been like at home for like few days, three days and then want to hit the road again. And then you know, two weeks on the road, come back home for two days, three days. You know, then I done like a big long trip like six weeks trip than I’m two weeks at home. So it’s, it’s really difficult to to calculate it how many days I’ve been at home, or I’ve been on the road. But I’ve been more more outside than at home.

Matthew Dols 55:39
I apologize if I’m sort of coming over a line here but in your industry, because you’re putting your body out and often it’s it’s received in sort of a sexualized way. Have you ever run into stalkers or anything like this any sort of problems with fans?

Dominika Jandlova 55:57
nothing personal. They they was like stalking in the in the, you know, like in the way they like sending me millions of messages or emails a day and not the pictures and videos. Yeah, but you know, that that’s, that’s about it. And luckily, I didn’t have any bad experience with you know, some some creepers. So I hope I wouldn’t have any.

Matthew Dols 56:26
Yeah, I assume that models eventually have a problem like that. So it’s nice to hear that you haven’t had a problem like no, that’s no good.

Dominika Jandlova 56:35
Yeah, I’m really lucky.

Matthew Dols 56:38
Yeah, centuries ago, in the arts industry, amuse often stayed with an artist for their entire lives, like they would literally be theirs. And they they would be the only one that painted them or sculpted them or whatever. And this idea of this traveling muse, so like, literally, like you just show up, you do your thing, and then you leave. And maybe you’ll come back a year or two later or whatever.

Dominika Jandlova 57:03
I mean,

Matthew Dols 57:05
is that something that like, you wish you’ve could find a muse of a person who sees you as like their muse, and they pretty much only work with you like, is that a desirable thing for you?

Dominika Jandlova 57:18
Yes, definitely. Definitely. Because it’s something it’s something something special, you know, to be the news for only one person, or only only one news for for one artist. Yeah, it’s impressive for me. So if that could happen, it was really great.

Matthew Dols 57:40
That’s finding an artist that has enough money to pay you to be full time use.

Dominika Jandlova 57:46
Yes, to make me living on it. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 57:53
it would go both ways. At that point, I’m sure.

Dominika Jandlova 57:58
Well, let’s see.

Matthew Dols 58:01
Any other advice for your models as far as the entering the like, assuming, let’s say, entering the industries now, so they’re brand new to it, so they have how to work with social media as websites, agencies being a freelancer? Any? Well, I

Dominika Jandlova 58:23
think it definitely helps to sign up with a good agency, but not to do like an exclusive exclusive, you know, the release, because then, you know, the agency keep them for, you know, just for themselves, so they can do the freelance work. So, I think it’s like to combine it with the, you know, to get some big chops from the agencies and some more like artsy work as a freelance, and, you know, have a good portfolio to show on the social media and just make a good presentation of themselves, you know, like, just present them the best way what would they think they are?

Matthew Dols 59:13
Yeah, but that’s the end. That’s the thing is, like, there’s no standard way to do it. It’s a do A, B and C, it’s do your way base, it’s

Dominika Jandlova 59:21
the individual Yeah, it’s individual. If you know, some, some some of these girls will feel the best. I don’t know in a poor trait. So then they should have the portfolios on the portraits and you know, that show the face and it’s difficult. It’s difficult to give advice.

Matthew Dols 59:44
Well, you seem to be doing it very well. So you for some advice on this.

Dominika Jandlova 59:51
Thank you. Yeah, that’s experience because I make some mistakes, as we said, and yeah, it’s I learned from death.

Matthew Dols 1:00:01
Yeah, it’s the industry is very slippery. I mean, the biggest problem I have with the industry what not the biggest problem I have with the industry but like a problem I have with the industry is the the nature of that reputation. Like the Yes, me because like any of us can have one bad day, like we just have a bad day, for whatever reason has nothing to do with that job. And you just have to suck it up and you have to make it work or else that those people you’re working with on that day, if they turn around, say, Oh, they were not nice. They were rude. They were angry, whatever, like you can. one bad day can just like ruin decades of

Dominika Jandlova 1:00:42
work. Yes, yes. Unfortunately, you have to you don’t have to bring your personal problems to the, to the to the work. Yeah. It’s just, yeah, I

Matthew Dols 1:00:54
can’t like you.

Dominika Jandlova 1:00:56
You can’t? No, you can? No, no, yeah, it is. And sometimes it’s something happening at home or you know, and you just have to stop think about anything else and be focused on what you’re doing and try to produce the good job.

Matthew Dols 1:01:13
I’m horrible at that. I wear my heart on the sleeve. So like if I had a bad, bad day still, they’re

Dominika Jandlova 1:01:22
that’s pity. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 1:01:25
That’s probably why I’m not a more professional photographer.

Dominika Jandlova 1:01:30
But it’s good. You still can, you know, do it as a hobby. And you know, and you enjoy it. That’s important.

Matthew Dols 1:01:38
That’s not a hobby. My wife calls it a hobby, and I get really upset about that. Okay, so I know it’s a check thing to call hobby. It’s not Yeah, I know. It’s check. But I’m, I’m a professor, I actually teach art. And I make art and I might. I just don’t like I don’t like the professional photography industry. I find it very competitive. I find it very cutthroat II and very, like they’re very snarky. I’m talking photographers to photographers, like they’re just not nice. They I’ve never had a good friend who’s a photographer. I have lots of painters and sculptor friends and teachers and all those kinds of but like, photographers are just we are just bitchy and cranky and competitive towards other photographers.

Dominika Jandlova 1:02:32
To be around. No, no, no, no. But yeah, let’s just say that to be surrounded by the other artist. It’s it’s, it’s much better. Yeah. Yeah, for you. Yeah.

Matthew Dols 1:02:47
I’m gonna cut all of this out. By the way. I just say yeah,

Dominika Jandlova 1:02:50
okay. Okay. Good, good. Good. Yeah. So but so you do the art. You have the art backgrounds, and you could do it. This is your main. Yeah. Cool. That’s pretty good. So

Matthew Dols 1:03:08
I’m a teacher and an artist. And I don’t do I don’t do photography work for anybody else. I do it only for myself. And then I turned it into my art.

Dominika Jandlova 1:03:20
But yeah, yes. But But you don’t do it only photograph as you know, as this part of the art industry. So you have good, this. That’s great. No, no.

Matthew Dols 1:03:33
Because it’s really hard to make a living doing that. And it’s Oh, yeah, with technology becoming better and cheaper and faster. The amount of money that photographers can make is because general whole, like 90% of the photographers are struggling 10% at the top. They’re doing really yeah, they’re great. There’s Yeah, but yeah, but everybody else, it’s just different link. I don’t feel like doing

Dominika Jandlova 1:04:03
Yeah, it’s pretty high competition. And you know, it’s, it’s a lot of people who are doing this so yeah, I understand. Yeah. And read this social media and, and cheap equipment, and everybody can try to do this. So. So it’s, it’s, it’s not good for it’s good for models, but it’s not good for photographers, or artists. Yes.

Matthew Dols 1:04:30
Okay. One last question, because you just brought it up. I’m an old school photographer. I still would wish I could be shooting on film and I’m very traditional in many ways. How do you feel when you show up for what you think is a professional shoot and they end up wanting to shoot with like iPhones or some sort of non professional equipment. I should rephrase. does that even happen? And then of course, if it does happen, how does that make you feel?

Dominika Jandlova 1:05:06
Yeah, it’s makes me feel awkward. You know, and you know, it’s weird. It’s just, it’s just weird because I had it. I had your once what I end up in, you know, turn on the photoshoot and the guy just told me Hey, my camera just broke down so I have to shoot on my iPhone. So, you know, I tell him like, well, you should tell me this before. Well, you know, I’m, I’m kind of like, Okay, if I know it, because I know with the iPhone, you still can create a something. But you know, if he pretends to be professional, and then he just, you know, show up with the camera. So I feel just it’s like a cheap and you know, like, I feel not not really comfortable.

Matthew Dols 1:05:56
I would say if they’re really professional, they either have a backup camera or

Dominika Jandlova 1:05:59
backup. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes, exactly. But this was this this looks to me more like he was just wants to just see nude, you know, curl then then actually care about flutter? So. Yeah, but but once it happens to me with my friends, just on this trip in Australia. He just broke his calm around the photoshoot. And we was we was both so excited about the photoshoot. So I tell him like, Hey, you, let’s use just the iPhone, you know, so just do something. You know. So, in this case is it’s it’s fine. Because you know, it’s, but if someone pretend it’s better to tell in advance, you know, like, because otherwise, it’s really awkward.

Matthew Dols 1:06:50
There are lots of people that make beautiful images with these, you know, cellular phones and all this kind of stuff. Yeah. They should say that in advance. I would imagine from your perspective, if you’re showing up to a photo shoot and you’re thinking, this beautiful thing, great equipment, and they go like, yeah, here’s my phone, and they just like pull out their pocket. It’s like

Dominika Jandlova 1:07:13
yeah, it’s really awkward.

And yeah, and I, yeah, I know, I’m usually polite, so I don’t want to hurt the feelings. So I just, you know, just trying to make it work. But yeah, it’s better to say it events definitely.

Matthew Dols 1:07:34
Okay, well, thank you very much for your time.

Dominika Jandlova 1:07:37
Thank you so much for inviting me

The Wise Fool is produced by Fifty14. I am your host Matthew Dols – www.matthewdols.com

All information is available in the show notes or on our website www.wisefoolpod.com