I've been in and out a few time thru out the this year. As I'm still very new to the photography scene, A very polite and professional young lady help me at the front. Devin she is a rockstar! Great personality and extremely knowledgeable. Answered every question I asked without hesitation. Thank you! read more

Great service, friendly and knowledgable. I even brought four kids in the store with me while shopping for a lens! They were so patient with me and friendly too. I love that they're located in Valley Junction as well. I always enjoy walking around and exploring all the local shops there. read more

As long as this place is open they have my business! I get my point and shoot camera film developed here, and my prints always turn out incredible. It'a priced well, speedy, and great quality. But, what keeps me coming back is the customer service. The employees here make you feel welcomed and right at home. read more

I assume these are the same people who operated a store in Valley Junction. Anyway, I purchased used equipment from them. Equipment still works great. I had a photo restored and they did a great job. I dropped off additional photos, irreplaceable photos, and they lost them. Haven't been back. read more

Steve is always very knowledgeable and extremely helpful no matter how dumb my questions are! He has helped us with info about purchasing a camera, educated us on different lenses, talked about photography classes and discussed repairing old photos. There is no lack of knowledge here when it has to do with photography. Go visit! You won't be disappointed! read more

I had read a few negative reviews of this place and was absolutely in disbelief, and decided it was worth my time to explain why you shouldn't take those into consideration. First of all, all the employees here are VERY kind and patient. They will answer any question you throw at them, and serve up a smile while doing so. It makes you feel very welcomed, even in a time like 2020 where the pandemic is shoulder to shoulder with you at what seems like any moment. Second of all, Steve is a very cunning man, with zeal and intelligence, yet very humbled by his experience as a photographer and salesman. Now with that said... it felt like sometimes the salesman inside him works a little too well, to where at one point I had this vapid feeling like he was just trying to sell me things, but I had soon realized he was simply doing what he does best. And it turns out it was in my favor as well, so no, he wasn't really just trying to sell me things for the sake of making money. I genuinely felt like he wanted to provide me with the best that he could for what I wanted, and he succeeded. I highly recommend you go in having some sort of clue what you want or are looking for. They will help you with no doubt in my mind, and you will leave a satisfied individual. 5/5 stars. Absolutely love this place. read more

How wonderful ! Steve was super helpful and knowledgeable regarding repairs and parts replacement as well as camera operation. Not a salesman, a true professional and all around nice guy. I do not have a lot of experience with photography and he was happy to answer all my questions.... even though it was Sunday. Highly recommend this shop. read more

I went to Alexander's because I wanted to buy a simple digital camera and I wanted to support a local business. I was greeted by a young woman who was smart and friendly. She started to show me their selection of cameras. I told her I wanted something simple that would give me better quality photos for web development. After asking me a couple questions, she explained what I probably wanted was a point-and-shoot camera with a fixed lens. We were doing fine when out of nowhere came the old man, presumably the owner. He interrupted her mid-sentence and said, "How are we doing here? Do you need help?" I said the young woman was doing a good job, and he dismissively sniped, "She's new." He then proceeded to spend five minutes man-splaining point-and-shoot cameras. I have no idea what he said. I was visibly irritated, but I tried to nod politely as he talked. I'm not a photographer, nor do I want to be. I just wanted a digital camera for good online photos. At one point, he asked what size prints I wanted, and I had to re-explain that this was a digital endeavor. He asked why I don't just use my iPhone and said most people want good digital cameras for printed photos. I don't know what century he's living in. I noticed the HDMI port on the end of one of the cameras and asked an offhand question about if that's where I upload photos to my computer, and he proceeded to lecture that HDMI connectors are "dangerous." Again, I tuned him out, but I think he was mentioning a fire hazard or the danger of getting photos "corrupted" from the upload process. I don't know what he was taking about. I can't find any online forums that assert the "dangers" of HDMI to USB connectors. Considering the pervasiveness of HDMI and USB ports, I'm sure computers across the country are bursting into flames from this universal lack of knowledge. Bottom line. This store is apparently only for photographers who want to print their photos and drink from the 20th century era font of wisdom patronizingly supplied by the owner. They also only sell Canon products, their selection is small, and the cheapest digital camera they had was $400. I ended up going to Best Buy, where the camera department kids left me alone to quietly read online reviews until I was ready to make my purchase. So much for shopping local. read more

I was recently in the market for a new DSLR camera. I did my research online and stopped in to Target, Wal Mart and Best Buy to take a look. The problem there is that they don't have the selection, what they do have is anchored down and has dead batteries. If you can get help, they don't know all that much about the specs of the cameras or how one compares with another. I thought I would give a local small business a shot and stopped in to Alexander's Photo in Valley Junction. Mr. Alexander himself greeted me. He was a wealth of information and gave it in a way that wasn't overly pushy or salesy. He had several cameras that I could compare. When I said I couldn't afford the first one, he had no problems helping me with the less expensive model. He answered all my questions with enthusiasm. He probably spent a good 30 minutes working with me. He gives every customer his private cell phone number and promises to answer any call between 9 am and 9 pm. I know I paid more, but I feel great about the camera I got and the service. read more

I visited Alexander Photo in West Des Moines over a year ago when I broke the lens mounting on my D300 Nikon camera. Steve was extremely helpful in the avenues available for fixing a broken camera, never once trying to make a sale. I just called him a few minutes ago about taking his photography course through WDMCS community education. Once again he was very helpful on what would be taught and how I could make up classes when I was out of town. Great guy, and I look forward to taking his class. read more

As an aspiring photographer, I don't feel like a moron when I ask stupid questions, hence the reason I go to Alexander's on Ingersoll. Plus, that's one of the few places (if not the only place) in town where you can get Crumpler merchandise. read more

I was searching for a wide-angle lens for my Canon 40D. I knew Steve Alexander from taking a photography class he taught. He showed me two different lenses and with his expertise and knowledge helped me choose the right one for my needs. I definitely recommend anyone from a beginner to a pro to check out Alexander's Photo. They treat you right and give you advice to help your photo needs. read more

The man working was unhelpful and condescending. I thought it would be nice to support small local business so I headed over to Alexander's photo to buy my new camera. When I tried to ask questions about a specific camera I was treated like a child. #camerasnob read more