After almost 10 months it is about time to present you the silent force behind the blog: Ilja Sura Changlor Smets! I can honestly say that without him there would be no Journey of Ruth since he’s responsible for 80% of the images that appear on this website. So as from today he gets his own very special spot on the about page. And I forced him to fill in my questionnaire 😉

 

 

1. How old are you and what’s your daily occupation?

I’m 28 years young and photographer

 

2. What’s your background? What did you study? Any important life events that made you become the person you are now?

I studied photography in high school and went to St. Lucas (Antwerp) afterwards to specialize in illustration. After 6 months I quit to start working in bars and restaurants. Not the smartest choice if I think about it now but I didn’t have the right mentality for school.

 

3. Besides your daily occupation, do you have other special hobbies, interests we need to know about?

Everything space related and scientific will draw my attention, before I started photography at school I did Industrial Science. And I’m also a really big foodie! 

 

4. If you could borrow my unlimited credit card and buy one thing, what would it be?

I would invest in education for the poor. Seriously.

 

5. What makes you really really happy?

Food, achievements in space exploration and friends.

 

6. If you could change lives with a person (he or she, from the past or present) for 1 day, who would it be?

Bill Gates or Stephen Hawkins… but in my own body. Because duh.

 

 

7. If you could use my unlimited credit card a second time to book a city trip, where would you go to?

Japan!

 

8. If there’s one thing you could change about the world, what would it be?

Again, equal education for everyone.

 

9. Which advice would you give to your younger self?

The same Shia LaBeouf gave me.  “ Just do it ”

 

10. Which goals would you like to achieve in the future, both personally and professionally?

I would love to do editorials for big magazines and travel more often. 

 

Pictures by the one and only Jens Mollenvanger