Jasmine Lawrie, former HND photography student at City of Glasgow College, has always had a keen interest in photography.

She remembers receiving a digital camcorder one year for Christmas, and a few years later, a digital camera for her birthday. This prompted her to take Higher photography at school to learn more about the subject.

“I then studied photography for three years at one of the best educational institutes in Scotland, City of Glasgow College,” said Jasmine.

“I progressed from NC to HNC and finally, HND. During my time at college, I learned the fundamentals of photography. Different genres were investigated thoroughly, giving us a taster of each. Although I particularly enjoyed portraiture, there was an aspect of product and still life which I really felt fulfilled my passion.”

For Jasmine to graduate from the HND course she had to complete a final project that was to include a total of 20 images. Originally she thought to do fashion portraiture after being inspired by a work experience trip to Quiz Clothing Studios. She planned her own spin on e-commerce, but then the global Coronavirus pandemic hit which meant that idea was no longer possible. She had to start from scratch and think of a new project that could be completed at home. 

“I decided to collaborate with my sister who loves baking,” said Jasmine. “Food and cake photography was a new avenue for me. My sister baked a total of 22 products, each of which challenged me in new and different ways. The more bakes, the more confident I felt in my approach and techniques. I wanted to show the cakes at their best and make them look desirable. The end goal was to achieve a final A, which I did, with a lot of dedication and enthusiasm.”

The same day that Jasmine received her final grade and feedback, she was contacted by well-known bakers and confectioners, Mathiesons.

“They had come across my photography social media pages, and wanted me to do a photo-shoot for newly packaged Stollen cakes. I was over the moon and jumped at what was a massive opportunity given I had just qualified,” explained Jasmine. “Over the course of my final project, I had slowly but surely bought the necessary lights and equipment to create a home studio. This meant I could shoot the Stollen cake, plus future projects, in the comfort of my own home.”

Jasmine received positive feedback from Mathiesons, both in terms of her photography and her business acumen. She is now working freelance, building a strong portfolio as a food and product photographer.