Jasmine Rio Taylor is a Leeds-based actress with nearly a decade of training behind her and the unfamiliar terrain of a post-graduate career unfolding in front of her.
She started in Musical Theatre at Gillian Banks Theatre School before transitioning to screen acting at MetFilm School, where she graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) in Acting for Screen. Like many recent graduates, the move from structured training into the professional industry hasn’t been seamless.
“Navigating the industry as a recent graduate has been a rocky road,” she says. “Balancing full-time work alongside filming has been intricate, but I finally feel like I’m finding my feet.”
That footing has begun to show in her recent work. She starred in Don’t Believe A Word I Say, a short film supported by Yarns 2025 that screened at Curzon Soho in November, and filmed her first commercial—a mobile advert for an O2 Priority and LADbible collaboration.
Alongside new credits came the growing awareness that her headshots no longer reflected where she was as an actor. She isn’t alone in this. The industry is definitely moving faster than ever, and actors can definitely feel it.
“For me, as someone who’s anxious about having their photo taken, a headshot refresh felt really daunting,” Jasmine explains. “But it was also well overdue.”
She knew she needed a photographer who would approach the process with patience and care. By chance, she came across Dock Street Studios—a small studio just a short walk from her home in Leeds city centre.
“After seeing Mark’s headshots on the website, I knew he was the right choice.”
The booking process, she says, was straightforward and reassuring. Each package included a consultation, access to a clothes rail and steamer, a beauty mirror, and a same-day private online gallery. More importantly, communication before the shoot helped ease her nerves.
“Any questions I had beforehand, Mark was happy to talk through. It meant I arrived feeling as relaxed as possible.”
On the day, Jasmine brought a wide range of outfits but approached the shoot wanting to stay true to herself rather than over-constructing a version of who she thought she should be.
“I came as I usually would, so the shots felt unique to me.”
The session itself quickly became collaborative. Mark regularly showed her the images as they went, inviting her input and adjusting based on what felt right.
“It never felt like I was being told how to look. We figured it out together.”
In 45 minutes, they captured multiple casting types across five outfit changes and two backdrops. The result was a set of headshots that felt, to Jasmine, both varied and grounded.
“I wanted headshots that felt authentically like me. I was over the moon with the outcome.”
Before leaving the studio, Jasmine received access to her online gallery. Narrowing hundreds of images down to five proved to be one of the hardest parts of the process.
“In the best way,” she laughs. “Having so many strong options meant I could choose a headshot for each casting type—commercial, drama, even period.”
Her final selections were edited and delivered within 24 hours.
Now, Jasmine is focused on finding representation and continuing to build her career as a screen actor. With updated headshots that reflect where she is now, and who she is now, not where she was a few years ago. She feels better equipped to take that next step.
“With these new headshots, I feel much more confident putting myself forward,” she says. “I’d absolutely recommend Dock Street Studios to any actor looking for fresh, professional photos.”
