Elk Mountain Photo (A Yellowstone Photographer Rescue Service)

Outines. Yellowstone NP, Wyoming, 2013

Assuming you will some day travel to Yellowstone National Park for some spectacular image-making (maybe you already do that on a regular basis?), here is some important information you need to write down on a scrap of paper and place in your “photography emergency first aid kit”:

Elk Mountain Photo, 31 Canyon St. (the main drag), West Yellowstone, Montana;  Tel 406-646-9760

They saved me and maybe they can save your photogenic, photographic butt someday, too.

As we drove into the Park, that gnawing, negative, sinking feeling finally blew out the highlights in my brain and I was soon rummaging through my camera pack. Sure enough, I had left behind my extra battery and (more importantly) the battery charger. A quick check of the battery currently in the camera didn’t improve my mood–it was at only 11% capacity. Aaargh! That was sure dumb. I hoped I didn’t see anything worth photographing anytime soon! (Fat chance, in Yellowstone.)

Elk Mountain Photo. West Yellowstone, MT

In a zone with cell phone reception, some Googling around on my iPhone led me to Elk Mountain Photo in West Yellowstone, Montana. It was Sunday morning, but I called anyway, expecting to get the standard recording about what the business hours were, location, etc…but, Lo and Behold! The owner, David Winter, answered and explained they were open every day from 9a.m. to 9p.m. and he added some even better news when he said he did in fact have the correct battery and charger in stock. By Sunday night, I was back in business. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles…

In fact, I was better than back in business. The charger I bought also came with a car charger adapter and a European plug adapter as well as the usual wall outlet prongs. This charger was way more versatile than my Nikon charger which was resting comfortable back in Colorado. I also bought an all-in-one card reader that was also way better than the one sleeping at home–it was USB 3.0 capable, almost a must for downloading D800 files. All of this at fair prices.

So, the bottom line is that I highly recommend Elk Mountain Photo if you have any issues with your gear whilst traipsing around after wolves and geysers and sunsets atop the Jellystone nuclear caldera, especially if you are on the west side of the Park. Go see David and Diane Winter–they’ll likely have what you need to lower your blood pressure and get you back behind your viewfinder again. (Maybe a small caveat: for more esoteric gear, beyond the usual easy-to-forget-at-home stuff, you might need to go to Bozeman, MT or Jackson, WY–but try Elk Mnt first before driving too far out of your way.)

To clarify a detail…They are indeed open every day from 9a.m. to 9p.m., but just during the prime tourist season–that being sometime in April through sometime in November. In the winter, you are on your own, Buckwheat.

POSTSCRIPT…Farther away, but very good options with a excellent inventory:

D.D. Camera Corral, Jackson, WY, 307-733-3831

F-11 Photographic Supplies, Bozeman, MT, 406-586-3281

If anyone knows of any other great photography supply resources in the Yellowstone area, let me know.