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 wedding photographer new york

Haylee + Conner's Urban Industrial Duluth, MN Wedding

Haylee + Conner's Urban Industrial Duluth, MN Wedding

Rachel SmakAugust 14, 2020Clyde Iron Workswedding photography copywrtier phoenix arizona, wedding photographer scottsdale arizona, wedding photographer phoenix, wedding blogger, wedding photographer tips, wedding photographer new york, elegant dark and moody wedding, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer colorado, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer arizona, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer chicago, elegant dark and moody wedding photographer new york, elegant dark and moody wedding photography new york, celebrating the holidays after grief, elegant dark and moody wedding California, new york commercial photographer, new york city wedding photographer, new york city photographer, nyc wedding photographer, nyc editorial wedding photographer, nyc wedding blog, new york city copywriter and website designer, clyde iron works wedding, urban industrial wedding photography, romantic wedding photography, dark and moody wedding photographer, dark and moody wedding photography, new york dark and moody wedding photography, duluth mn wedding photos, downtown duluth wedding, duluth mn wedding photographer, duluth wedding spots, duluth mn wedding photography, duluth wedding, duluth wedding locations, mn wedding, Minnesota Engagement, MN wedding reception, nyc wedding reception, new york city wedding reception, nyc wedding tips, nyc wedding spots, brick wedding, brick wedding photography