Interview: Miss Erotika 2018 Kateřina Balounová and photographer Daniela Smržová

Preparations for this year’s Miss Erotika 2019 are in full swing. The finalists have almost all been picked and their first interviews and the calendar shoot are coming up. We will start introducing them to you one by one in early September. But first, let us look back at last year’s edition.

We dropped in on a shoot at Kare Design with Daniela Smržová, the erotic fair’s in-house photographer. Her model was the reigning Miss Erotika 2018, Kateřina Balounová, so we sat down with both of them.

Daniela, let me start with you. This is your third time shooting for the EroFest erotic fair. Are you still enjoying it?

Daniela: Yes, more every year. The fair keeps developing, and so does the whole Miss Erotika competition.

When everything is being prepared for the Miss Erotika final and the emotions start building, do you go through it with the finalists?

Daniela: I am fairly calm about that side of it. I focus on the organising, and all the emotion comes at the moment the winners are announced. Seeing their reactions on stage, I am so happy for them. And I am glad that we all put in a proper piece of work.

Can you tell in advance who has the potential to win?

Daniela: I always have a few names in mind who I think stand a better chance. It is definitely not just about looks. These days, every Miss contest looks above all at how the contestants approach it, how they behave, what each woman radiates, what kind of person she is. Once the points are fairly added up, the winner is as much of a surprise to me as to everyone else in the room. 😊

Káťa, do you remember the first thing that went through your head when they told you that you had won Miss Erotika 2018?

Kateřina: It went through my heart more than my head, I would say. I was so unbelievably happy that I burst into tears on the spot. I had hoped for it so much, but I had no confidence at all. I have to say I had never felt anything like it in my life.

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What has changed in your life since you won?

Kateřina: First of all, I proved to myself that when you go after something in life — put your will into it, give it your time and all your energy — you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I had always loved watching sensual women dance, but I never dared to “become one of them”. Thanks to winning Miss Erotika I gave it a try, and now I dance abroad and finally do work I love, so thank you for that. 🙂

Is there a moment from the competition, apart from the win itself, that you often think back to?

Kateřina: That one I remember exactly. It was the moment my little brother hugged me after the win and said: “Sis, I’m proud of you!” That meant more to me than anything else.

Daniela, in your view, what does the winner of the Miss Erotika title stand for?

Daniela: Say the words “Miss Erotika” and everyone probably pictures something slightly different. I think she should be a confident woman with a dose of sex appeal, charm and femininity. She should know how to be seductive in her own way, intelligent and friendly. As for looks: a nice figure, a warm smile, healthy skin and beautiful hair.

In your eyes, is it a serious competition?

Daniela: It certainly is. For me, serious means anywhere that what is said and promised to everyone involved actually holds. Everything is clear from start to finish. And the scoring is always fair and closely supervised.

We are sitting in the wonderful Kare Design, where you are shooting with Káťa. How do you choose your locations?

Daniela: I have known Kare for a few years and I admire their furniture and decor. They keep bringing out new collections, so it never gets old. That is why I wanted to try shooting Káťa in their showroom. If you are looking for new pieces for your home or anywhere else, you will certainly find something here. 😊

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Do you plan the model’s look and the style of the shoot in advance too? And how do you pick the team you work with?

Daniela: The look and the styling I have to think through beforehand. On the shoot itself I am spontaneous, but I stick to certain elements I know I want. With Káťa I had a picture in my head of showing her as the winner, a queen with a crown. And of course staying in EroFest’s colours — hence the floor-length red skirt with a slit, lent to me by Goldfingers Prague. Thank you again to them! 😊 I wanted the make-up bright and sexy, something that would suit Káťa. I always pick people for the team I can rely on. Káťa’s make-up was done by Alina Vagner, who will be doing our make-up again this year in two places: at the calendar shoot for 2020 in September, and for the Miss Erotika finalists at EroFest in November.

Káťa, back to the competition once more. Would you recommend it to other girls? And do you have any tips for them — how to charm the jury, for instance?

Kateřina: Whether I would recommend it to other girls is not something I can answer with a simple yes or no. Everyone is different and comes to that kind of challenge in their own way. As an amateur, I was terrified while preparing my free discipline and kept telling myself I was the only girl in the competition who did not dance or model professionally, that I was just an ordinary bartender. So it cost me a lot of nerves. From that point of view I would hesitate to recommend it. On the other hand, you get so many new experiences out of it: the calendar shoot, the Erotic Ball, and you meet plenty of new and familiar faces. How to charm the jury? I have no trick for that. To this day I do not know what it was that won them over. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the judges.

Are you looking forward to sitting on the jury this year and being, as they say, on the other side of the table?

Kateřina: Honestly, I am really looking forward to sitting on the jury and seeing the competition from the other side. It will be my first time judging and I think it will be a great experience. 🙂

What is your next goal in life? What are your plans?

Kateřina: I am not much of a planner. Usually when I got excited about something, it did not turn out the way I imagined. So I take life as it comes. What I really cannot stand is routine. 🙂

Is there another competition where we might see you soon?

Kateřina: I travel a lot, so unless someone approaches me again, no. 🙂

You can follow Káťa on Facebook or on her Instagram. You can also look forward to seeing her at the erotic fair on 8 and 9 November 2019.

Together with Daniela we will soon bring you the first photographs from the shoot for the 2020 calendar. You can follow her work on Facebook, on her website www.danielasmrzova.com or on Instagram.

Photographs: Daniela Smržová
Photographer’s assistant: Jiří Kovář
Model: Kateřina Balounová
Make-up and hair: Alina Vagner
Location: Kare Design
Special thanks: Goldfingers Prague