Hi, I’m Rachel.

I’m an adventure lovin’, thrill seeking, photographer and writer based in Phoenix AZ, and Minneapolis, MN. My heart beats for cacti, city skylines, handcrafted old fashioneds and potatoes in any form.

In 2017 I lost my mom to suicide and spiraled down the awkward and emotionally isolating experience commonly referred to as grief. My story doesn’t exactly have an a-ha! moment because the light bulb that lit up for me was on a dimmer switch but since her death I slowly discovered that grief doesn’t happen in a vacuum, but alongside a mixture of all the other human emotions—joy, hope, fear, anger, and even love. Grief’s imprint taught me that life is precious and sparked me to quit my 9-5, uproot my life to the desert, and pursue my passion for creative storytelling full time.

Now I navigate life with my camera in one hand and a pen in the other and my blog is a mashup of love stories, brand stories, mental health and grief stories (it’s a niche), and my “real life” (I can’t make this shit up) stories. I bring heart and a little humor to even the toughest of stories and candidly share about a range of topics including living through loss, grief, and new beginnings, and how to run a creative based business.

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Posts tagged moodboard

Confidence and skin care | a behind the scenes look at Lumene USA's lifestyle brand campaign

Photography, Life & Style, EducationRachel SmakNovember 3, 2018arizona brand photographer, arizona copywriter, arizona editorial photographer, arizona editorial photography, arizona freelance copywriter, arizona freelance photographer, arizona lifestyle photographer, arizona photographer, brand campaign, customized branding experience, every type of beauty, face wash, freelance copywriter, Glow Reveal Peeling face mask, how to find you brands vibe, i am enough, i am worthy, instagram, instagram feed, loving our skin, Lumene, Lumene Glow Reveal Peeling face mask, Lumene Skincare, Lumene united states, Lumene USA, minneapolis brand photographer, minneapolis commercial photographer, minneapolis commercial photography, minneapolis content creator, minneapolis copy writer, minneapolis flatlay photographer, minneapolis freelance copywriter, minneapolis freelance photographer, minneapolis freelance social media stratagist, minneapolis freelance writer, minnesota brand photographer, minnesota commercial photographer, minnesota commercial photography, Minnesota Editorial photographer, minnesota editorial photography, moodboard, organic skincare, phoenix brand photographer, phoenix commercial photographer, phoenix commercial photography, phoenix copy writer, phoenix editorial photographer, phoenix editorial photography, phoenix freelance copywriter, phoenix freelance photographer, phoenix freelance writer, phoenix photographer, phoenix social media stratagest, phoenix wedding photographer, real beauty, real not retouched, scottsdale brand photographer, scottsdale commercial photographer, scottsdale copy writer, scottsdale editorial photographer, scottsdale editorial photography, scottsdale freelance copywriter, scottsdale freelance photographer, scottsdale freelance writer, scottsdale photographer, scottsdale wedding photographer, self love, self love is real love, self-care, skin care cream, skincare, skincare routine, visual brand direction, visual direction