Yeeeee, my name is Sydney Welch I was born in San Jose, CA and raised in Fremont, CA. My mother has served as my primary source of inspiration when it comes to my photography. She had a Minolta film camera that she used to document my entire childhood, and she then gave it to me to start shooting with in high school when I took a photography class in my junior year. I didn't even use a digital camera as my first medium of photography, so I'm a risk taker. The impact that art and music have had on my career is MASSIVE. If it weren't for music alone, I wouldn't be where I am today. Music has saved me from some of the lowest moments in my life, but it always brings me endless amounts of inspiration that keeps me going in my work, too. My love for music started when I was just a young girl who loved attending concerts. My mom took me to my first concert ever, Hannah Montana, at Oracle Arena when I was 9 years old, and from that moment on, I knew that I wanted to work in music. There's also a point in time when I was a vast @JordinSparks fan, and I got surprised with concert tickets and meet and greet tickets by a close friend, where I had the chance to tell one of my favorite artists how much her music means to me and finally see her strong voice live too. That was another core moment in developing my passion for working in music. I wanted to experience this as much as possible while helping artists express their creativity. Fast forward some years later, I received a B.A. in Photojournalism with a minor in International Relations from San Francisco State in the spring of 2021. After college, I received a job offer at Walmart Corp to work as an Assistant Content Manager for their Client Solutions team. This role was brand new for the company, and I was laid off one year later in 2023. As soon as that experience happened, I used that time to lock in my passion for working in music and focus on building my artists Oda and Shante up. In March 2024, I received a graduate certificate from Berklee College of Music in Music Business Marketing and Management. And I firmly believe that power is nothing without discipline, and power without discipline is short-lived (Kameron Hurley). You can have all the ideas in the world, but if you don't have the discipline to execute them thoroughly, they are just dreams. I'm confident I'm not afraid to hold myself accountable, especially regarding my work. I don't like to depend on people too much because they can be disappointing, but I'm grateful for the people I can rely on, no matter the activity. Dreaming and manifestation make the creative process fun as it inspires you, too. Manifestation has played a significant role in my career as I've spent countless days visualizing something or verbally speaking it aloud, and it ends up happening. I ask God to keep me on the right path and remove things/people/places from me that don't align with my higher self, and next thing you know, I'm walking into my dreams. Always remember that whatever you want in life is already yours.

My love and passion for photography have allowed me to create my dream life, which I'm still building. It's an honor that photography has allowed me to see some of my dreams in real-time and allows me to be seen. I want my work to continue to speak for itself and especially inspire girls who look like me. Another reason why I'm passionate about what I do is because people don't value community anymore. None of my accomplishments wouldn't have been possible without my community and people looking out for me. I want people to truly accept and understand just how successful you can be when you have a diverse and supportive community around you. Being able to work with people who have interests similar to mine is something I also don't take for granted. How we can provide each other with safe spaces to share our ideas, truths, stories, and more allows me to leave a room feeling extra inspired by our connection. I love it when I feel aligned with people. Growth is rewarding, primarily when you work through your fears. Most creatives know exactly what I'm talking about.

I have been a storyteller for 10 years and plan to tell stories for the rest of my life. Whether it's through my photography or the artists I manage. The stories are authentic, creative, inspiring, and heavy on the passionate. I want people to feel and see my passion for art when they look at my work because 9 times out of 10, it's my passion that has led me to execute a project. I also want people to see that it takes hard work, dedication, and commitment to make your dreams and ideas come true. Even though it happens pretty often, success doesn't come overnight. If you want something badly, you must not be afraid to put the work, time, and energy into it.

My favorite part about creating is being able to help people get their ideas out and seeing their reactions after I execute them. It also makes me feel good when clients tell me they trust my ideas.

I have curated with @Kamaiyah, @Whoisumi, & @AerinCreer. I'm hoping to curate something with @Kehlani, @Veezeworst & @IndiaLove.📸