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.

Latest From The Blog

Posts tagged why im relocating to phoenix

The Garden Solaris

Life & Style, TravelRachel SmakOctober 3, 2018arizona boudoir photographer, arizona brand photographer, arizona copywriter, Arizona ghost writer, arizona lifestyle photographer, arizona photographer, arizona wedding photographer, finding my next home, minneapolis boudoir photographer, minneapolis brand photographer, minneapolis content creator, minneapolis copy writer, minneapolis elopements, Minneapolis Engagement, minneapolis lifestyle photographer, minneapolis wedding photographer tips, minnesota wedding photographer tips, moving to Arizona, my apartment search, my studio apartment search, phoenix boudoir photographer, phoenix brand photographer, phoenix copy writer, phoenix lifestyle photographer, phoenix social media stratagest, phoenix studio apartment search, phoenix wedding photography, phoenix weddings, scottsdale boudoir photographer, scottsdale brand photographer, scottsdale copy writer, scottsdale lifestyle photographer, scottsdale wedding photographer, scottsdale wedding photos, why i moved after my breakup, why I moved after my moms suicide, why im moving, why im moving after my breakup, why im moving in 2018, why im moving to arizona, why im relocating, why im relocating after my breakup, why im relocating to phoenix

Why I'm Moving to Arizona

Life & Style, EducationRachel SmakAugust 11, 2018arizona boudoir photographer, arizona brand photographer, arizona copywriter, arizona lifestyle photographer, arizona photographer, arizona wedding photographer, minneapolis boudoir photographer, minneapolis brand photographer, minneapolis content creator, minneapolis copy writer, minneapolis lifestyle photographer, minneapolis wedding photography, moving, moving chronicals, moving diary, moving journey, moving to Arizona, phoenix boudoir photographer, phoenix brand photographer, phoenix copy writer, phoenix lifestyle photographer, phoenix photographer, phoenix social media stratagest, phoenix wedding photographer, relocating, relocating my business, scottsdale boudoir photographer, scottsdale brand photographer, scottsdale copy writer, scottsdale lifestyle photographer, scottsdale photographer, scottsdale wedding photographer, scottsdaleweddingphotos, the next chapter, Travel, why i moved after my breakup, why I moved after my moms suicide, why I relocated after my moms suicide, why im moving, why im moving after my breakup, why im moving in 2018, why im moving to arizona, why im relocating, why im relocating after my breakup, why im relocating to phoenix