ABOUT
| About |
| Yasmin Berkson, born in Chicago and raised in Istanbul, is the youngest member of a family of artists and photographers who date back three generations. She first began to take photos at the age of seven using her grandfather's Leica Rangefinder camera. Her fascination with nature and portraiture developed during the many summers she spent at the family farm in the Dardanelles, just a few miles from Troy and the beautiful Greek isles. Her earliest passion however, was the Classical Guitar which she began studying at the age of eight. She continued to work with some of the worlds greatest performers and teachers and eventually completed her studies in the United States with complete performance scholarships and a Bachelor of Music degree in Guitar Performance. She then performed in concert with her husband and fellow guitarist Lou Mowad traveling around the world with several tours to Asia. Together they have performed on television, radio, and premiered many new works for the guitar. They have been recognized and recommended by the National Endowment for the Arts and have received numerous grants and awards. Everything changed for Yasmin and Lou when their daughter Rafaella was born. It was at this time that Yasmin decided to stop touring and renew her other passion of photography full time. She took her years of training and discipline as a concert musician and dedicated it completely to photography. She constructed her own darkroom and developed her images in black and white as well as color until she felt digital photography had come of age. Shooting model portfolios, fashion, commercial, fine art and weddings in South Florida she quickly became a highly sought after photographer for her unique images and personal style. In 2003, Yasmin was invited to become the Special Events photographer for the world famous Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa in Asheville, North Carolina. In that capacity she has photographed numerous events, celebrities and the many couples that choose the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina for their wedding. In 2008 she was commissioned to photograph then Senator Barack Obama as well as the new Governor of North Carolina, Beverly Perdue. Yasmin and Lou live in Asheville, North Carolina with their daughter Rafaella, Siamese kitty Daisy and their Shih Tzu’s Lily and Sparky. She continues her work as the contracted special events photographer for the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa. |
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