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

Instagram Hacks: Stop Motion Stories

Photography, EducationRachel SmakJune 1, 2018animated gif tutorial, gif tutorial, gifs for your brand, grow your instagram engagement with stories, how to create a gif in instagram, how to create a gif with your phone, how to create a gif with your phone camera, how to create an animated gif, how to create an animated gif for your brand, how to create an animated gif in instagram stories, how to create an animated gif in instagram story mode, how to create an animated gif on instagram, how to create an animated gif with your cell phone, how to create stop motion videos, how to create stop motion videos in instagram, how to create stop motion videos in instagram story, instagram hacks, instagram stop motion tutorial, instagram stories hacks, instagram stories stop motion tutorial, instagram stories stop motion tutorial june 1st 2018, instagram stories tutorial, instagram story hacks, instagram story stop motion tutorial, instagram tutorial, instgram stop motion how to, stop motion videos for your brand

My Top 5 Tips For Introverted Entrepreneurs

My Top 5 Tips For Introverted Entrepreneurs

Life & Style, EducationRachel SmakMay 23, 2018conversation techniques, how to be more social, how to be social as an introvert, how to be successful as an introverted entrepreneur, how to make small talk, how to make small talk as an introvert, how to network, how to network as an introvert, how to network when you're shy, tips for introverted entrepreneurs, top 5 tips for introverted entrepreneurs

What's In My Camera Bag

What's In My Camera Bag

32 Things I Would Tell My Younger Self

32 Things I Would Tell My Younger Self

How To Break Free From The Comparison Trap

How To Break Free From The Comparison Trap

Photography, Life & Style, EducationRachel SmakMay 9, 2018break free from the comparison trap, community over comparison, community over compitetion, comparing yourself to you're peers, comparison, comparison struggles, comparison trap, competing with your peers, creative comparison, creative competition, empowered women empower women, entrepreneur comparison, facebook comparison, how to celebrate other people's success, how to deal with comparison, how to deal with competition, how to deal with jealousy, how to overcome comparison, how to overcome comparison struggles, how to overcome creative comparison, how to overcome creative competition, instagram comparison, overcoming comparison, overcoming comparison in your industry, overcoming competition, overcoming competition in your industry, social media comparison, stop comparing yourself to others

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

10 Tips For Second Shooting A Wedding

10 Tips For Second Shooting A Wedding

PhotographyRachel SmakApril 18, 201810 tips for second photographers, gain experience shooting weddings, how to be a second shooter, how to second shoot, minneapolis wedding photographer tips, minnesota wedding photographer tips, second photographers, second shooting weddings, tips for second shooters, wedding photographer tip, wedding photographer tips

Amber + Dakota Intimate Duluth, MN Elopement

Amber + Dakota Intimate Duluth, MN Elopement

Ceci + Michael-St. Paul Engagement Session

Ceci + Michael-St. Paul Engagement Session

How I Built A Website In 3 Days

How I Built A Website In 3 Days

EducationRachel SmakApril 13, 2018golivehq, guide to plan build and launching your website, how to build a business website for free, how to build a custome website, how to build a web presence, how to build a website in 3 days, how to create a custom website, how to create a website, how to create a website for your business, how to go live with your website, how to launch your website, launch your site, launch your website, squarespace

5 Tips For Effortlessly Flawless Engagement Photos

5 Tips For Effortlessly Flawless Engagement Photos

PhotographyRachel SmakApril 12, 20185 tips for engagement sessions, engagement session hair and make-up tips, engagement session preperation, engagement session tips, engagement shoot tips, how to choose an engagement location, how to have fun during an engagement session, how to prepare for your engagement session, how to rock your engagement shoot, tips for engagement sessions, what to wear for your engagement photos

Brittany + Trevin An Intimate Fort Snelling Elopement

Brittany + Trevin An Intimate Fort Snelling Elopement

PhotographyRachel SmakApril 8, 2018fort snelling elopement, fort snelling wedding, fort snelling wedding photography, st paul elopement, st paul intimate wedding, st paul wedding

6 Productivity Hacks for Working From Home

6 Productivity Hacks for Working From Home

EducationRachel SmakApril 7, 20186 productivity hacks for working from home, boost your productivity working from home, hacks for working from home, how to be more productive when working from home, how to stay productive working from home, productivity tips for working from home, tips for staying productive while working form home, tips for working from home, ways to be more productive working from home, working from home tips

5 Fun Facts About Me!

5 Fun Facts About Me!

Life & StyleRachel SmakApril 7, 20185 fun facts about rachel smak, rachel smak, who is rachel smak

Jessica + Matt-Stillwater Engagement

Jessica + Matt-Stillwater Engagement

PhotographyRachel SmakApril 7, 2018downtown stillwater engagement, stillwater engagement photographer, stillwater engagement photography, stillwater minnesota engagement photos, stillwater mn engagement, stillwater mn engagement session, water street in engagement, water street inn engagement session, winter engagement, winter engagement session

What No One Tells You About Surviving Suicide

What No One Tells You About Surviving Suicide

Life & StyleRachel SmakApril 6, 2018suicide and the aftermath, surviving my mothers suicide, surviving suicide, Travel, what no one tells you about grief, what no one tells you about losing someone you love to suicide, what no one tells you about loss, what no one tells you about surviving suicide

How To Create A Wedding Day Timeline

How To Create A Wedding Day Timeline

PhotographyRachel SmakApril 6, 2018Wedding Day Otline, Wedding Timeline

Rachel Roams | Cincinnati, OH: Travel Guide

Rachel Roams | Cincinnati, OH: Travel Guide

Life & StyleRachel SmakApril 4, 2018Cincinnati, Hotel Covington, Travel, Travel Guide

7 Hacks to Capture Better Instagram Photos

7 Hacks to Capture Better Instagram Photos

EducationRachel SmakApril 4, 2018How to make a flat lay, How to take better instagram photos

Ashley + Dan Roller Rink Minneapolis Engagement Session

PhotographyRachel SmakApril 3, 2018Cafe Lucrat Engagement Session, Engagement, Engagement Photographer, Engagement Photography, Engagement Photos, Engagement Session, Loring Park Engagement Session, Minneapolis Engagement, Minneapolis Engagement Photographer, Minnesota Engagement, Minnesota Engagement photographer, Minnesota Engagement Photography, Roller Rink Engagement Session, St- Paul Minnesota Engagement Session, Wooddale Fun Zone Engagement, Wooddale Fun Zone Engagement Session, arizona enagement photography, arizona engagement session, arizona engagement photographer, arizona photographer, arizona commercial photographer, arizona copywriter, arizona editorial photographer, arizona boudoir photographer, Arizona ghost writer, arizona brand photographer, arizona lifestyle photographer, arizona freelance photographer, arizona editorial photography, arizona engagement photos, arizona freelance copywriter, arizona interior decor, arizona wedding photographer, phoenix weddings, phoenix copy writer, phoenix brand photographer, phoenix engagement photography, phoenix engagement photographer, phoenix engagement session, phoenix social media stratagest, phoenix freelance copywriter, phoenix freelance photographer, phoenix freelance writer, phoenix studio apartment search, phoenix editorial photography, phoenix photographer, phoenix editorial photographer, phoenix commercial photographer, phoenix commercial photography, phoenix boudoir photographer, phoenix wedding photographer, phoenix wedding photography, phoenix lifestyle photographer, mpls wedding photography, mpls wedding photographer, st paul engagement photographer, st paul engagement photos, st paul engagement photography, st paul photographer, st paul photography, my photography gear, Elopement photographer, St- Paul Wedding Photography, st- paul wedding photos, St- Paul wedding photographer, St- Paul MN Elopement photographer, como park engagement photos, 10 tips for second photographers, Mears Park St- Paul wedding photos, Mears Park Wedding Photography, Mears Park wedding photos