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I am based in Czech Republic and I travel for corporate and private commissions worldwide. I specialize in Portraiture, Documentary, Editorial, NGO, Lifestyle, Advertising, PR, TV, Headshots, Corporate & Travel, Fine Art Wedding Photography. Artist's Statements Blanka Sadilkova Master of Arts I am Blanka, a portrait and social documentary photographer, writer, philanthropist and environmental advocate. I aim to be thought-provoking, inspiring and daring as an artist. My personal projects which often center around traveling, I am curious by nature and an avid student of global cultures. I grew up wanting to help the world be a better place and I have preserved that dream. That dream is now my purpose, photography is my tool and I use my voice to direct attention to what I see as important. I create bridges between people, cultures and continents so we can all learn from each other. My photography represents my connection to the world around me. It is my passion to direct attention towards Education, Climate Change, Sustainability, Ecology, Traveling, Traditions, Arts, Healthcare, Science, Stem Cells, Self development, Spirituality, Power of Mind, Family, Human Connections, Altruism, Philanthropy and Minimalism. Charity work is integral to my personal and professional ethos and, where possible I connect my work to NGOs and individuals who need the support and exposure. My assignments take me on a pictorial journey, shooting editorials, corporate and private commissions and personal projects. I like to go inside communities and work with people, really get involved and get to know whom I am portraying to be able to capture real essence rather than just photographing outer reflections. |
Education and BackgroundI hold a Master’s degree in Documentary Photography & Photojournalism from Westminster University in London, England and I am a proud member of The Royal Photographic Society of United Kingdom and The Czech Federation of Photographic Art.
I was born in Czech Republic and studied in London, United Kingdom. I am based in Czech Republic and I travel for corporate and private commissions worldwide. Published Books 2016 Stem Cells, The Journey, self published 2015 Strong Mind, self published 1997 Collections of Poems, Talented Students- contribution Editorials Wall Street Journal, New York Times, LA Times, Belfast Telegraph, CFFU Journal, London BABY Magazine, London Belgravia Magazine, BRITISH CARL Magazine, BELANE magazine, OK! magazine, Hello! magazine Exhibitions 2016 Altered States, Ambika Gallery London, Group Show 2015 In Our Times, Ambika Gallery London, Group Show 2014 International Photography Festival, London, England. Group exhibition 2013 "EDEN" Educational Centre in Mozambique, Africa. Solo exhibition2013 "EDEN" Eden Mozambique center in Five, Scotland. Solo exhibition 2011 "Street Soul" Gallery Snezne, Czech Republic. Solo exhibition 2010 "New York" Gallery Zdar nad Sazavou, Czech Republic. Solo exhibition 2010 "Walls and Interpesonal Relationships" Gallery Pisecka Brana, Prague, Czech Republic. Group exhibition 2010 "Faces of Nepal" Theatre Zdar nad Sazavou, Czech Republic. Solo exhibition 2009 "Shards" Zdar nad Sazavou, Czech Republic. Solo exhibition Published Calendars 2014 "EDEN" commissioned by FEB charted accountants 2013 “Reaching South” commissioned by FEB charted accountants 2012 "Jean Millar" life style and fashion, collection of Ellis, Spanish wedding dresses designer. Shot in Prague, commissioned by Jean Millar 2012 "Mexico, Mayan Calendar" commissioned by FEB charted accountants 2011 "Jean Millar" life style and fashion shoot- collection of Ellis, Spanish wedding dresses designer. Shot in London, commissioned by Jean Millar 2011 "New York!” commissioned by FEB charted accountants 2009 "Faces of Nepal" 2009 “On the Way" commissioned by FEB charted accountants Projects 2020 Focus
2018- 2020 INTO THE JUNGLE, Belize 2015-present STEM CELLS, THE JOURNEY 2014 STRONG MIND 2013-present OCEAN series (photography, paintings, poetry, essays) 2013-2014 HOLLYWOOD DREAMING, Los Angeles, CAlifornia 2013 EDEN, Mozambique 2013-present CAMERA-LESS PHOTOGRAPHY 2012 REACHING SOUTH (Peru, Bolivia, Chile) 2011-present LOST MAYAN CIVILISATION 2011 The Other Side of Tsunami, Dominican Republic 2011-present LOST MAYAN CIVILISATION 2009-2010 NEW YORK!, USA 2009 FACE OF NEPAL, Nepal 2008- present THE WHEEL OF LIFE, SHAOLIN WARRIORS, global Project (China, England) 2006-present
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Projects, Work and Clients
The projects I’ve undertaken since 2006 brought a lot of experience in my professional photography and allowed me to build a very vast portfolio. I derive the greatest personal satisfaction from those projects through which I can make a difference, projects I believe in and which allow me to carry a philanthropic message.
One cannot easily delineate my pictorial assignments as personal or professional. Often, my professional work has brought me great personal challenges and adventure and have directly influenced the course of my life. I produce editorials, content for exhibitions, calendars, photography books and prints. You can hire me for
I am an artist in my own right, but also with lineage. I can work with notable Clients within their guidelines whilst bringing my artistic license to the finished product. In other words, I listen to Client's needs, and understand them. I work discreetly where required to do so and I am comfortable with celebrity Clients. I am used to working under pressure and with tightly scheduled deadlines. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life. My Clients include an international list of high-profile personalities, royal families, artists and entrepreneurs and I draw inspiration from artists, renowned actors, directors, producers and writers whom I have been privileged to work with. I build professional relationships with my Clients and many of my corporate Clients have stayed with me for over 14+ years. I have had the honor to document their private life, growing families and notable events in life. My niche and my unique selling point is working with children and newborns; I know how to engage with them and keep them interested while having fun and not breaking the house or studio down. I love working with people of all different backgrounds, everyone always brings something new: entrepreneurs; established CEOs or start up owners, NGOs, influencers, bloggers, musicians, actors, scientists, motivational speakers, coaches. I love diversity and I am very flexible. I worked at the backstage of Film Academy during the Oscars and the Grammy’s, but the biggest part of my work has always been working with people from all walks of life. I love all the energy and emotion it brings. Life itself is always the most fascinating inspiration. I have had had the opportunity to portray and to work repeatedly with such inspiring actors as Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Michael York awards winning composer Hanz Zimmer, BBC Producer Chris Cowey, James Bond films Production Manager Terry Bamber and other fascinating personalities. This work was commissioned while I was the official photographer for Cinemagic, an award-winning organization that uses the magic of film and all forms of moving image to entertain, educate motivate and inspire young people. I like to listen to people, feel and hear their soul speaking to me. I don't want to photograph the reflection on the outer side. But capture the emotion, personality, the moment. Through my photos I display my spiritual connection with the whole world around. Non-Governmental Organizations I work with CINEMAGIC EDEN Mozambique NEPAL WATER PROJECT HOPE ORPHANAGE NOVA VES AAVia Foundation Robbie Bobby Foundation |
Personal StoryMy personal life is aligned with my career. I spend a significant amount of the year in traveling, working on personal projects. I am interested in many topics as mentioned above: Education, Climate Change, Sustainability, Ecology, Traveling, Traditions, Arts, Healthcare, Science, Stem Cells, Self development, Spirituality, Power of Mind, Family, Human Connections, Altruism, Philanthropy and Minimalism. One of the most important and pressing issues is the future of our planet. My social environmental documentary photography project concerning climate change "Evolve" aims to bring awareness and teach social responsibility. I give talks and I educate children especially. Simple basics such as the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable items and awareness concerning recycling. These are all small and steps we walk towards the right direction. I believe that education is very important and children are our future and educating them in a playful engaging way is what we need to focus on in order to change the course of the destruction of our planet to susutainibility. Much waste ends up in the rivers and pollutes the environment and it eventually comes back to haunt us in the climate change thread. Protecting the environment is my personal responsibility and passion since my early life, in an early age I already organized cleaning river in the village where I was born. I believe we all need to take action before it’s too late and personal responsibility is a wonderful beginning. I travel a lot and my carbon footprints is no where as small as I would like it to be, but I minimalized my life and I embraced off grid living, without both power and water, connected to nature and over the course of two years I spend one full year in Yucatan, an ancient mayan land in Belize and also a month in Mozambique, Africa. I gained a lot of knowledge about sustainibility, which I woudl like to pass on through my work. Early LIFE I was born into a loving family and I grew up in beautiful Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, a green countryside gem divided by clean rivers and pristine air, surrounded by lakes and the deepest and eldest forests in the country. At the time, it was then part of an occupied country, Czechoslovakia, ruled by communists and restrictions. I was only 9 years old when we finally had Velvet Revolution in 1989, but I remember those uneasy times well and what my parents and grandparents had to encounter and endure. I know about it mainly through the stories they passed on to me, but I remember and witnessed a lot first hand too. My work has taken me to the back roads of China and Cuba where I’ve experienced and captured pictorially the impact of communism on people’s daily lives. I feel a kindred connection in these situations. I really value my freedom of travel and speech, which I have the legal rights to, unlike my ancestors. I feel it’s my social responsibility to use my artistic voice to take part in bettering our world. My early life was very much influenced by both of my parents, my role models, whom I have learned from first-hand about everything in life. What I believe shaped me the most was their respect towards one another, planet and humanity; especially elderly and less privileged. They taught me how important it is to treat everybody as equal and never laugh at anybody and if I can’t help, at least not to harm. They stressed the importance of politeness and kindness. My little brother was always there by my side through all our adventures. My inspiring grandparents, my loving and home making grandmothers and my grandfathers influenced me, particularly: Josef Jadrny, painter, musician and a photographer who taught me how to hold a brush before I even knew how to hold a spoon! He showed me the importance of light. Unfortunately, he passed away too early, but we spent a lot of time together in his studio and while he worked on location, in nature of any kind. I inherited his genes and his precious analogue camera, and his legacy lives on through me. The same goes for my grandfather, Josef Sadilek, whom just like my dad, was a fascinating storyteller and an unpublished writer. He always told me stories and without exceptions, listened to mine. He believed in all my dreams, visions, ambitions. He always made me feel validated. My granddad wrote a memoir while being captured and in-prisoned in a Nazi camp in Germany during the second world war. These memoirs were lost and burned, but his stories live with me. My passion for storytelling and curiosity for understanding human nature and behavior came from our long philosophical conversations, which started early in my life. He taught me why it is important to listen to people, being compassionate and learn about life through people’s stories and experiences. What you see in my photographs is this heritage combined. I couldn’t photograph what I see if I didn’t have all these role models in my life. |
