George and Beata in Bali

Beata Bernina, born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, studied photography in Boston, USA, before working as a magazine photographer in Jakarta, in the early 90's. For the past 20 years she has lived in the USA with her husband, George Simian, partnering in their commercial photography and teaching programs. She has taught photography to inner‐city youth in the Los Angeles area, and to a group of traditional textile weavers, in the Eastern Islands of Indonesia. Recently, Beata has participated in the development of a software application for the learning of the Indonesian language and culture. A natural‐born organizer with a passion for authenticity, she enjoys seeking out leads to significant Balinese experiences,          to share with workshop participants. 

Her work can be seen at  beatabernina.com

George Simian, born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, is a leading USA corporate advertising photographer, who has illustrated over 200 annual reports over the past 30 years, many of which received awards from Mead and AR100. George's clients include AT&T, Fidelity Investments, Georgia‐Pacific, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Staples, and Xerox. 

He teaches at UCLA Extension, where he was awarded Instructor of the Year for 2007, and at the New York Film Academy. 

Photo District News magazine recognized him in Sept 2011 as one of the Best Photo Workshop Instructors.

A lifelong advocate for photographers' rights, he serves as the National Board Treasurer for the Advertising Photographers of America. 

His expertise in strobe lighting, digital workflow, and color management, make him a sought‐after consultant in the photo industry.

Find him on the web at georgesimian.com  and on Facebook.