Flagstaff Camera LLC / The Framing Department — Local services in Flagstaff

The TLDR for this review is as follows: If you are looking for a camera store / developing lab / printer / framer staffed by experts in their craft, look no further. Hidden Light's unwavering commitment to rendering their services at the highest standards and their dedication to customer satisfaction is second to none.

How did I come to this conclusion? See the footnotes below...

I stumbled across this absolute gem of a camera store by sheer luck in the days leading up to a two-week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. For months I had been sitting on a number of rolls of 35mm film in need of developing, so I reached out on a Saturday morning and was fortunate to catch the owner, Matt. We chatted briefly about Hidden Lights' developing services before the conversation shifted to camera gear and what I should take with me on my trip. Up to that point I hadn't stepped foot in his shop or given him a dollar of my business, but Matt gave me the time and consideration of an old friend. By the time I hung up the phone I had made up my mind, the Xpan was going with me! ... or so I thought.

After dropping my spent rolls in the mail I realized that I hadn't followed the procedure outlined on their website for sending in film. (They probably would like the name and contact info for the person sending in film. Who would've thought?!) In an effort to right my wrong, I reached out two days later when they opened for business. Instead of Matt, this time it was his wife Kristen who answered the phone. Kind and understanding, Kristen took down all of my relevant info and payment details. Right from the jump it was apparent that she was a wealth of information as well, so I asked her for her thoughts on what I should bring with me on my trip. When I told her that Matt had recommended I take my Xpan her response was one of incredulity. "He told you to do what?!" We both had a good laugh and after I filled her in on the camera gear I had available to me, she wisely (as I would soon discover) nudged me towards my DSLR.

When I finally made it into Flagstaff forty-eight hours before the start of my rafting trip, I had yet one more fire that I needed Hidden Light's help in putting out. While packing up for my trip I noticed that the remote shutter release for my 5D Mk IV wasn't turning on. Assuming that it was just a dead battery in need of replacing I stopped in Hidden Light and was greeted by Vivian who would end up being the real MVP of this whole story.

After swapping out the old battery for a new one, I was crushed to discover that the remote shutter release was still not working. I had brought a 10-stop neutral density filter to use down in the canyon, and now, with a broken remote shutter release, any hope of long exposure photography was quickly evaporating. Well that was until Vivian literally and figuratively saved the day. Even though it didn't benefit Hidden Light in any way, Vivian was able to find a third-party shutter release on Amazon and sent me the link. By the time I walked out of the store I had a new shutter release on order, and by the following night it was delivered to the Whole Foods down the street.

I can't begin to find the words to express how much Vivian's help saved my trip, at least as it pertained to taking pictures. If I had to guess I would say that 75% of the photos from my rafting trip were taken using a tripod and the remote shutter release that Vivian sourced for me. Without her quick thinking I don't believe I would have been able to put my order in with Amazon in time to get it delivered before the start of the trip. So if you're reading this, Vivian, THANK YOU!

Hidden Light continues to earn my business over and over again with their developing and scanning services, their expert guidance, and their stellar customer service....

If I could give them 10 stars, I would! They're life savers! We're traveling on our 2 week vacation and I have an older camera that takes a larger SD card than what's considered normal these days. We had to come through Flagstaff on our way to Zion National Park and my SD card was already full from our previous stops. (Poor planning on my part.) I googled local camera shops in hope that someone would have an SD card that would fit my camera.

The staff here was the definition of kind customer service! They are more of a print shop/ art gallery, but quickly set out to see if they could help. They didn't have any new SD cards for my camera, but quickly suggested that for $15 they could move everything on my card to a thumb drive so I could wipe my card and free up space. What a great solution! It didn't stop there, while he was completing that task he found a used 32GB SD card in his stock of random parts that fit my camera. He kindly wiped it clean and allowed me to purchase it. To top it off, he double checked my settings and even showed me a few new tricks with my camera.

These guys were so knowledgeable, so kind and very, very helpful! I could go on and on. Moral of the story, if you need anything, stop here. You...

The person, I can't remember their name, with the long hair that helped me with my camera this afternoon was beyond patient and helpful. I have an older, thrifted Minolta camera that was giving me a couple issues I was not sure how to diagnose because I have only recently begun to shoot film. We were there 15 minutes past close and they, along with the super kind owners, had no problem staying and making sure I was set to go with a camera in good and working condition, going as far as cleaning the lenses and mirror and putting new felt on the mirror for me. It's hard to find customer service and an environment as welcoming...