The Faces of the Golden Strip invite you to meet Ruben Idarraga, the newest addition to The Faces of the Golden Strip community blog! Ruben is the owner of RI Videography & Photography.
Ruben is also a TSA Officer at GSP Airport. Ruben is also a hometown hero. He is too humble to admit that but you should read his recent story and decide for yourself. Click here for the article TSA Article
To see some of Ruben’s beautiful videos of Simpsonville, Mauldin and Fountain Inn (The Golden Strip) click here RI Videography & Photography. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!
Q: How long have you lived in the Golden Strip area?
A: I am originally from Columbia, South America. I came to this beautiful country, the United States, which is now my country, in 1995. I am currently a resident of Mauldin, but I’ve also lived in Simpsonville. I live with my wife and our daughter Valentina who is 19 years old.
Q: How long have you been doing photography and video?
A: About two years. I started in photography and then decided to go to 50/50 with video production. It’s not my main profession. I’ve been doing this as a side job that I enjoy very much.
Q: What is your main profession?
A: I am a Supervisor for TSA at the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport. I’ve been there for 15 years.
Q: Who or what inspired you to get into photography and videography?
A: It’s a passion that I discovered a couple of years ago when I was facing a situation with one of my friends from work. He was having a very difficult time, he was ill. I decided to get my camera and do a video for him in order to lift him up. I interviewed 30 co-workers expressing how much we love him and how much we miss him; and that’s when this dream started.
Q: What do you enjoy most about what you do?
A: What I most enjoy is helping people to be seen by others that they don’t know, boost their products or services, and let the community know more about their business. I help them with things that are normally very expensive, but I do not charge a lot.
Q: So you offer this as a service to the community?
A: Yes, as a service to the community. I definitely like to impact businesses in our Golden Strip area. I just finished a video for local pizza place here in town. I’m in the process of helping another business in Mauldin, and I’m looking forward to helping other local business owners boost their products or services, whatever they offer.
Q: What’s one sentence that you would like people to use to describe the way that you do business?
A: I keep my promises. If I say I am going to do something, I do it.
Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in the Golden Strip area? What do you like there?
A: Azteca, they are my favorite. They are in Mauldin and the chimichangas are my favorite.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? and Why?
A: Israel. I would love to visit the places that Jesus Christ was around and walking in the same place that He walked would be awesome. That would be something that I couldn’t describe.
Q: What’s the most challenging experience that you’ve had in Photography?or in your TSA role?
A: My challenge in my position at TSA is to keep the kindness that I have to present to everybody and still assume the role of authority. We have to explain to the passengers that they cannot fly with certain things, and sometimes they don’t understand. They don’t understand why they cannot have a bottle of water or a bottle of shampoo. They get frustrated. Sometimes we have to do pat downs when they go through our system and they don’t want to. We have to keep that level of kindness in a frustrating situation.
Q: What’s the most challenging experience that you’ve had in Photography/Video?
A: Photography and Video is an art. Everybody thinks in different ways. I try to accommodate exactly what the customer wants, what kind of impact they want in the community, and what product they want to boost. In order to do that, I sit down with him or her to get an understanding of what they would like for me to present in this video. That helps me to understand, but it can be a challenge to get their exact vision.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
A: Financial Independence! I see myself financially independent, retired from government and pursuing my dream as a videographer and photographer, as a hobby, as well as a business. I would like to travel the world and be doing videos in different places. Enjoying my family and doing things with my wife and my daughter.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in the Golden Strip area so far?
A: The most interesting person that I have met is my Pastor, Alex Giron with the Church of God (Plenitud Cristiana Internacional). He was the first person that I met. He came to visit one time at my house and since then I have experienced a different relationship with God.
Q: What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word “home?”
A: Security, Respect and Love!
Q: What’s something on your bucket list?
A: Going to Israel!
Q: Do you have any other hobbies besides this that you like to do in your spare time?
A: I like to drink coffee, A LOT! I actually never considered photography as a hobby really. It is my passion.
Q: Is there a charity or organization that you’re passionate about?
A: Dogs and pets! I definitely love to help in any way with dogs and pets. We do have a dog. He is like our Son. His name is Bruno. I help the canine foundation at the airport. The explosive detection dogs and the K-9 dog organization. They help other police agencies with knowledge on how to train their dogs. I help them a little bit. Definitely anything related to animals is something I love.
I also do community and church activities quite often. I help the church as much as I can with videos and photography. I’m very into it and trying to spread the word of God as well.
Q: Do you have any stories about Bruno?
A: He does a lot of things but the most special thing is how much love he has for us. When we arrive home he is waiting for us to say hello. We leave for five minutes and he has no sense if it was for hours or days. I think the thing that touched my heart the most was one time he was choking and I didn’t know what to do. I prayed and asked God to help me out. What can I do? He was basically dying. So I opened his mouth and touched something in his throat and he was able to breathe again. It was scary.
Q: How old is Bruno?
A: Seven years old?!
Q: Who do you think is his favorite person out of everyone in the house?
A: My wife. There is no doubt!
Q: Is there anybody else in the Golden Strip area that you would want to nominate and highlight for something they do for the community?
A: I would say Anita Baldwin. She is the owner of Anita’s Mexican Restaurant. She is a very special person. She was one of my first employers. I still remember her. She lives close by. A very special and a kind person. Very shy, but she has a lot of love to give to the community and to everybody.
Q: What is your favorite kind of music?
A: Christian music. I love it.
Q: What advice would you give to a crowd of people?
A: If I would have the opportunity….. I would say Jesus loves you.
