What is Capture Australia?

Capture Australia is a photo digitisation service that scans printed photos and albums using proprietary glare-removal technology. We work with a network of partner shops in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. Customers drop off their albums or loose prints at a local partner shop, and the shop handles the scanning before returning the originals safely.

Where do I get my photos scanned?

Capture Australia operates through partner shops in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. You bring your albums or loose prints to the nearest partner location, leave them for scanning, and collect them once the job is done. Visit captureaus.com/where-to-scan to find your closest shop and its opening hours.

What technology does Capture Australia use to remove glare?

Capture Australia uses a proprietary 8-layer glare-removal process. The scanner captures multiple exposures of each photo through the album plastic sleeve, then processes those layers to strip out glare and reflections. The output is a clear, detailed digital copy, produced without ever removing the photo from the album.

Do my photos need to come out of the album?

No. The scanning technology works through album plastic sleeves and pages, so your photos stay exactly where they are throughout the process. There is no risk of tearing, bending or damaging the originals at any point.

What sizes of photos does Capture Australia scan?

Capture Australia scans printed photos across a wide range of sizes. Small wallet prints, standard 4x6 and 5x7 album photos, 8x10 portraits and larger prints up to and including framed portraits held under glass are all within scope. The proprietary scanning equipment is physically installed at each partner shop, built specifically to handle this full size range without removing photos from their sleeves, albums or frames. The same 8-layer glare-removal technology applies at every scale, so the digital output is sharp and consistent whether the print is a pocket-sized snap or a full framed portrait. Slides, negatives and film require different equipment and are outside the scope of this service. The wider Capture group covers those formats at capture.com and capture.hk.

How are my digitised photos delivered?

Once scanning is complete, your photos are delivered as high-resolution digital files on a USB drive or via a secure online downloadable link. Confirm the delivery method with your partner shop when you drop off your photos.

Is Capture Australia listed in Google Photos?

Yes. You can find Capture Australia in the Google Photos app import function. In the Google Photos app or website, tap the '+' button, select 'From other places', then choose 'Digitise physical photos' to find us. After we deliver your files via USB or downloadable link, you upload them to your Google Photos account yourself through the app on your own device.

Is the scan quality consistent across all partner shops?

Yes. Every partner shop uses the same Capture Australia proprietary scanning workflow and glare-removal technology, so the output quality is consistent regardless of which location handles the job. Each photo goes through the same multi-layer processing at every shop.

Digitising Photos vs. Negatives: The Best Choice

Digitising Photos vs. Negatives: The Best ChoiceDiscover whether digitising photos or negatives offers the best results for preserving your cherished memories.

Should You Digitise Photos or Negatives?

Time may affect the quality of even the most cherished photographs. Digitising them ensures they last for generations. But what should you choose for the best results, photos or negatives? Capture Australia provides clarity on this decision.

Understanding Photos and Negatives

Knowing the differences between photos and negatives helps you make an informed choice. Photos are ready-made images, whereas negatives are the original source used to create prints. Negatives offer better image quality, capturing more detail and a wider range of colours. Properly stored, negatives also last longer than prints. However, scanning negatives requires specialised equipment, while photos are simpler to digitise.

The Benefits of Digitising Photos

Digitising old prints allows you to preserve and share your memories. Unlike physical prints, digital files do not fade or tear. They can be easily backed up on a computer or cloud, providing peace of mind. This process also enables colour restoration and damage repair, saving space compared to bulky photo albums.

Why Choose to Digitise Negatives?

Negatives hold more detail, resulting in higher-quality digital files.
They allow adjustments to colours, brightness, and sharpness.
Digitising negatives protects them from further damage.
Negatives offer the chance to bring out details lost in prints.

Restoration: Photos or Negatives?

If restoration and enhancement are your goals, negatives often provide more flexibility. They capture a greater range of details, aiding in correcting colour fading and repairing damage. If negatives are unavailable, professional digitisation of photos can still restore and preserve your images.

Printing and Enlargement Considerations

For printing and enlargements, resolution matters. Negatives typically offer a higher resolution, enabling sharper enlargements. Printed photos, being second-generation copies, may lose detail when enlarged. If large prints are your goal, negatives provide the best results.

Black and White Photos and Negatives

Black and white images present unique challenges. Older prints may have yellowed, while negatives retain more contrast and detail. Scanning negatives results in sharper images. If only prints exist, scanning and professional restoration can recover lost details.

When to Digitise Both

In some cases, digitising both photos and negatives proves beneficial. If prints have sentimental notes, scanning them preserves that personal touch. Meanwhile, scanning negatives provides the highest quality image, but is comparatively costly and slow as it is all manual work.

Capture Australia's Professional Digitisation

Capture Australia makes digitising your old photos an option that is easy and secure. With our glare-removal technology, we deliver professional results. Once digitised, receive your memories on USB, cloud storage link, ready to share. We return your originals with care, ensuring your memories are preserved for future generations.

Choose negatives for the highest quality and preservation and some partners like Photoland, Camera House, and Retromedia will be able to help. If negatives are unavailable, scanning photos still offers a great way to protect memories and Capture Australia guarantees your memories are preserved in the best possible way with our touch-less photograph scanning technology.