Dock Street Studio Leeds

Dock Street Studio Leeds is a company which specialises in headshots and commercial photography. Mark has lived in Leeds his whole life and his photography exploits started in film in the 1990s before setting up his business in the last decade. With experience running Digital Apprenticeship programmes for young people and volunteering as a youth worker for various charities, most projects Mark had been running involved using photography and video, making it a natural step to take on press and music photography briefs. Mark then formed his own photography company in 2015.

Mark initially started Aire Street Studio and Headshots. Working with such talented performers and artists didn’t feel like work for Mark - he relished the space at Aire Street which allowed him to experiment with lighting and to re-focus on headshots and studio based work. Now he also has Dock Street Studio Leeds in our Dock Street Workshops. He works with many small businesses including makers, clothing designers and restaurants to produce images that help promote themselves to potential clients. Some of this work has been done through PR agencies and magazines, allowing Mark to see what is going on in his beloved city while meeting entrepreneurs through the creative process. His biggest clients are in the financial, creative and tech sectors, who he helps to keep their image fresh and regularly updated.

The business’s future plans include expanding its commercial customer base and creating financial stability, allowing Mark to spend more time developing young people, which was his original aim from the outset. The studio will continue to offer traineeship opportunities and to support a brilliant charity - Canal Connections, who aim to reduce social exclusion and loneliness.

Mark feels extremely fortunate to have met the Aire Street community while working locally at a digital agency, where he provided content. He had three exchange students from Dusseldorf helping to shoot the Leeds Digital Festival, and they needed space. Aire Street Workshops welcomed them in, for which Mark is eternally grateful to Jenny Beard for the introduction to Linda, Gary and Mairi. He has now joined the Dock Street community too, where Wendy and the others have really welcomed the breath of fresh air he’s brought.

dockstreetstudioleeds.co.uk