Tucked away in South Austin lies St. Edwards University, a quaint private school dedicated to the growth and education of its students. Uncertain of what would come from it, Sydnee Villarreal, a 20-year-old first-generation student, applied to the university in the winter of 2018. Days dragged, lingering by the mailbox and refreshing her email as she longed for an acceptance letter. For Sydnee, going to college would make her dreams of becoming a professional photographer a reality.

“Choosing schools, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go,” explained Sydnee as we recounted the moments before applying to St. Edwards, “I have always loved Austin, and I got one of their (St. Edward’s) brochures with all the majors on it. I was like, ‘OH, PHOTOGRAPHY,’ something that I have always loved to do and was thinking of going into, but wasn’t really sure. Then I think I toured here (the campus) and I fell in love.”

When she first arrived at St. Edwards, Sydnee had little to no knowledge of what college had in store for her, but she had all the wonder of possibility. Strolling into what she would call home for the next four years, Sydnee walked into the Fine Arts building for the first time and instantly felt a sense of belonging.

“I knew from the people that I wanted to go to St. Edwards. Stepping into the fine art building was like, ‘Yeah, this is where I want to be to grow as an artist,’” said Sydnee.

Shaver Food Station – October 2021
Sydnee Villarreal’s Documentary Street Photography Series

She soon found that the photography department is where she feels the most seen and heard as an artist—learning from photography professionals such as Sybil Miller and Joe Vitone,  expert photo-communications professors within St. Edward’s Arts and Humanities Department.

In this department, aspiring photography students, such as Syndee, are offered an accessible workspace, experience the latest technologies and opportunities to further their education outside the classroom. In Sydnee’s case, she embraces most of these opportunities. Learning alongside professors who actively exhibit their work allowed her confidence to flourish through her self-expression in her photography.

Some of these opportunities included becoming a Photo-Lab Monitor; a job offered to photography students looking to further their education by practicing historical and technical processes behind camera functions, printing, and chemistry related to digital and analog photography. These processes include mixing chemicals necessary for images to be developed, handling printer inks, ensuring that the colors are printing correctly, and guaranteeing that all these items remain up-to-date, functional, and organized for lab attendees.

“Being a photography lab monitor, you have to be able to set up the darkroom, enlargers, and all the chemicals so everyone can use them. I am also there to help every single student with any questions they have. It is mainly the darkroom, processing, and the digital printing lab, making sure everything goes smoothly.”

Sydnee has been working on campus as a photo-lab monitor for the last three years and touched base on how rewarding the experience has been for her as her academic journey continues.

“Being able to learn from everyone (peers) is a plus. Just seeing everyone come in and work in the lab and people asking your opinion on things is very rewarding,” said Sydnee as she discussed the overall benefits of being a photo lab monitor.

This opportunity to work in an accessible lab offers photography students a safe place to create and gain peer support during their time within the photo lab. It has also allowed Sydnee to unleash her imagination to new heights and produce a community of creative individuals to bounce ideas off one another.

“It is honestly an honor having people coming up to me and asking my opinion on their work even though I have only been a monitor for a couple of years. It has also helped me communicate with others and allowed me to grow from what other people are doing and gain a new perspective on things.”

Sydnee remains excited for what is to come during her time at St. Edwards University and looks forward to creating more work that revolves around documentary street photography. She also does graduations and personalized shoots that make her clients and viewers feel a sense of nostalgia and the familiarity of home. As she continues her studies and photo lab practices, she is confident that her dreams of becoming a professional photographer are only a couple of semesters away.

Pasadena Flea Market – October 2021
Sydnee Villarreal’s Documentary Street Photography Series