Yellowstone Camera Store Work Agreement
- The Yellowstone Camera Store
- Mar 3
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 10
Work Agreement for all seasonal employees of Yellowstone Camera Store in West Yellowstone, Montana
We are excited you will be joining us for the 2025 season! May 1 - September 30, 2025
Your Workamper position will begin on May 1, 2025 (or as discussed when hired). We will provide a bit more detailed information as we get into April and we can assess access to our RV spots, etc.
If you wish to arrive in West Yellowstone or the surrounding area and stay at another RV campground before our RV sites are available on May 1, 2025, those reservations will be at your expense. RV sites are from May 1, 2025, through September 30th, 2025.
Specific RV sites will be assigned once we get access to the sites in April. We’ll be in touch regarding the location of each of our RV sites as we get closer to the season opening!
The RV sites are all full hookup with 50 amps available, water and sewer. Sites are level and groomed with room for your daily driver vehicle. All sites are right in West Yellowstone, less than 1 mile from the store.
As indicated, the pay rate is $10/hour with Included RV site (or $14/hour without RV site)
Work commitment is from May 1 – September 30, 2025
All hours worked will be paid.
The RV site is part of the compensation package.
We are asking for 30-35 hours/week/person.
That translates to 5 days/week, generally 6 hr. shifts.
All members of the team will also have access to the employee purchase programs from the various photographic and optic vendors we work with which is a nice perk!
You will also be able to borrow, without cost, our rental lenses and optics based on availability.
If you have a planned personal event scheduled during the summer which will take you away from the store for a few days, please let us know AND MUST BE PLANNED AND APPROVED ASAP BEFORE TH SEASON BEGINS to ensure we have the schedule covered.
We do have some blackout dates to not schedule yourself away from the store. When we have big workshops running, we will be lean and will need everyone available during those times. During the following dates do not schedule nor ask to be away from the store and our regular working schedule.
o Alaska Bears: June 24-30, 2025
o 4th of July Weekend, 2025
o Redfish Lake: September 28-Oct 3, 2025
Regarding returning employees: Hourly wage will be carried over from the previous year’s hourly rate.
Typical Duties at The Yellowstone Camera Store include, but are not limited to:
We will provide OTJ training as we go forward. Immediate needs will be to learn the following:
o Point of Sale system
o Rental Process of lenses, cameras, binoculars, & spotting scopes
Operating the Point-of-Sale system, stocking shelves, keeping things clean (dusting and keeping gear dust-free!), basic admin items, monitoring inventory levels and gaining a cursory understanding of the gear we are selling.
Vacuuming the store as necessary, recycling boxes and taking out the garbage as necessary. Any other basic items that need to be done…if you see something needing attention, please just get it done when you can as customer flow allows.
Heavy emphasis on customer interactions regarding photographic questions, needs and wants. Questions will range from the simple to the complex with a very, very wide variety of customer experience and knowledge. Overall, our customers’ needs tend to be of the simpler variety. Please be careful to know your limits on a particular topic and when to ask for assistance from one of the more experienced team members…that will serve you and our customers well!
It is imperative to ensure compatibility between any products sold or rented and the customers’ existing equipment before closing and processing the sale. In other words, Canon-Canon, Nikon-Nikon, etc. Also, now that mirrorless gear is predominantly what we sell – it is vital to know whether the need is for DSLR or mirrorless gear and what works appropriately together.
It can be easy to get things mixed up!! So, take your time, double check and confirm with the customer as well. Most of the camera equipment, for example, is black…very easy to get things mixed up!!
Learn and become fluent in the “Brand” of Yellowstone Camera as it relates to how Christopher Balmer teaches and photographs his subjects…NO EDITING! It is by no means complex, but it is a thought process and “Brand” that Christopher Balmer is well known for over the past 17 years. We will send free links so you may sit in on upcoming online classes to learn more about our approach.
It is important, as employees, we all support, understand and convey to customers our unique approach. This is not an expectation that you will suddenly begin “not editing,” but we do ask everyone to have some level of understanding and respect for what we are doing and what the potential is for our customers. Our non-editing message is unique in the industry, and we wish to continually establish our position and message consistently.
Testing and evaluation of customer equipment to ensure proper operation and instructing the customer on the correct use of the equipment as needed.
Handle and assist with questions and sales of the various gift items sold in the store.
Handle, assist and process all our rental equipment, both going out and coming back into the store.
Handle and assist with questions, sales & shipping of the fine art prints on display in the store.
We want you to know that we take your commitment to travel all the way to Yellowstone to work with us seriously. It’s important to us that we all have a fun and successful season! If any questions come up, please feel free to direct them to me directly anytime.
If all the above is agreeable, please sign & date below and return to me (a phone picture is fine). Once returned, we’ll consider you onboard and will look forward to seeing you this next season (exact date to be determined based on weather and our previous discussions, etc.). I would like the signed copy back to me by April 1st, 2025 or as soon as possible.
The following information is included per IRS rules on Lodging/compensation (irc1.119(b)):
In order to properly perform your duties, you are required to accept the employer provided accommodations as defined elsewhere in this Work Agreement. The value of the accommodation will not be included in your gross income.
I accept the arrangements outlined above and agree to perform the listed duties.
Name Printed ________________________________________________
Name: Signature _____________________________________________________
Date: _______________
For your consideration:
Yellowstone National Park opens for the summer season on April 18, 2025, at 8:00 am.
Print Form Below (without graphics) sign and return to yellowstonecamerastore@gmail.com Attention: Kevin
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