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 wedding photography is important

Hannah + Luke | Say You'll be Wine, Forever

Hannah + Luke | Say You'll be Wine, Forever

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How Loss Changed The Way I Photograph

How Loss Changed The Way I Photograph

Photography, Life & StyleRachel SmakApril 23, 2018how important photos become after someone dies, how loss changed the way I shoot, mn wedding photographer, mn wedding photographer shares how death changed the way she shot weddings, photography and mortality, significance of wedding photography, the importance of wedding photographs, wedding photography articles, why a good wedding photographer is important, why hire a professional photographer, why wedding photography is important, why wedding photography is so important