Meet Andrei Stoica of Arizona Photo Adventures in East Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrei Stoica.

Andrei, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have a degree in geophysics and a career in software engineering, but I discovered my passion for photography during a trip to the Southwest in the early 2000’s. It was great to discover all the natural wonders one can find in the national parks, but it was just as great being able to share my best images with friends and family! There were no social media back then, but emails worked just fine. From that moment on, photography became my passion and took over most of my free time.

Trips to all corners of the Southwest followed, as well as yearly trips to Europe that continue today. Discovering new places, people and customs is my main focus on these trips.

Some of my photos have been published in magazines such as National Geographic, Popular Photo Magazine, PHOENIX Magazine, The Times (UK) as well as the popular German magazines Hoerzu and Gong. I frequently find my photos shared by National Geographic and many of the Phoenix media channels, both on the Internet and TV.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like with any learning process, it’s not always easy to get where you want to get and you may never get there. I’m a perfectionist and rarely 100% happy with what I get out of a photo expedition or photoshoot, but the satisfaction is always greater than the thought of not having done it at all! I always challenge myself to find new perspectives, new angles on familiar themes and locations since that’s one of the driving factors when it comes to progress in the art of photography.

Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I run a photo tours company called Arizona Photo Adventures (http://arizonaphotoadventures.com) geared towards those with a passion for photography and hiking. We offer half and full day tours in Sedona and around Phoenix with an emphasis on the natural beauty of these locations. My approach is slightly different vs. similar tours. First, I take customers off the beaten path so they get a chance to see a different angle than they would otherwise see just walking around. Then, I take quality portraits and candid shots of them while on the tour which provides them with great memories that a selfie just cannot capture. Finally, I offer advice for those just starting in photography and interested in capturing scenic locations at the best time of day.

In recent years I took two trekking expeditions into Nepal and I was so impressed with what I saw and experienced there that I’ve decided to add my photo and trekking tour to Arizona Photo Adventure’s portfolio. Our Nepal tour is such a thrilling and rewarding adventure that it appeals not only to photographers but to anyone interested in discovering a new culture, explore the Himalayas on foot and get incredible pictures all along!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
A few years ago I was published in National Geographic Magazine. It just happened that less than a week after the magazine came out, I took a trip to Europe and that took a few layovers to get to my destination. To my delight, I found my photo published in three of the local editions of National Geographic!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arizonaphotoadventures.com
• Email: info@arizonaphotoadventures.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arizonaphotoadventures/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arizonaphotoadventures

Image Credit:
Andrei Stoica

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