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 inch and 5x7 inch photographs, 8x10 portraits and larger prints up to and including large format scanning of framed portraits and artworks, with a capture area of up to 45cm x 70cm. 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 large framed portrait or artwork. Slides, negatives and film require different equipment and some partner shops like Photoland, Camera House and Retromedia offer these services. The wider Capture group covers those formats outside of Australia 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.

How much does photo scanning cost in Australia?

The cost depends on your situation: the partner shop you use, the size of your collection, whether you need express turnaround, and whether any additional manual steps are involved, such as archival full-page captures or handling unusually fragile prints. Our semi-automated scanning workflow keeps the baseline cost low, because the technology does the heavy lifting on each photo rather than requiring hour-by-hour manual labour. Different partner shops run their own promotions from time to time, and larger collections can qualify for better rates. The best way to get an accurate figure is to contact your nearest partner shop with a rough count of your photos and albums.

The Hidden Costs of Not Preserving Your Memories

From Kodak to Cloud: The Hidden Costs of Not Preserving Your Precious MemoriesDiscover the hidden costs behind traditional film photography—from camera purchases and film rolls to development, printing, and storage—that can add up to nearly $2,000 over 20 years. Learn why digitising your photos with services like Capture offers a smarter, safer, and more affordable way to preserve your family’s priceless memories for generations to come.

From Kodak to Cloud: The Real Cost of Holding on to Your Memories

Remember the joy of popping in a roll of Kodak Gold, Fujifilm Superia, or even a snazzy Agfa Vista? Whether you were capturing a sunburnt day at Bondi, Grandpa's 70th, or those legendary school footy matches, back in the day snapping photos wasn't the expensive part. It was everything that happened after you pressed the shutter.

Film Photography: The Price Tag Behind the Memories

Let's look at the true cost of keeping your memories pure and physical, even before we talk about scanning:

The Camera Itself
Entry-level models like the trusty Pentax K1000 or the iconic Olympus OM-10 could easily set you back $100 to $300. High-end SLRs had no ceiling.
The Film
Each roll of Kodak Gold 200, Fuji Velvia, or Ilford HP5 (for the arty types) cost anywhere from $11 to $17, sometimes more when imported. Capturing a few dozen precious shots a year over two decades adds up fast.
40 rolls x average $15 = $600
Development and Printing
The developing process was never cheap. Processing a 36-exposure roll cost around $10. Prints (even just 4x6s) ran up to $15 per set, per roll, with enlargements doubling that again.
40 rolls x $10 = $400
40 sets of prints x $15 = $600
Albums and Storage
Albums ranged from budget to premium, averaging about $30 each. Add sleeves or boxes for the overflow.
Albums x 2 = $60
Storage extras: $40
Loss, Damage, Restoration
Photos in old plastic sleeves suffer fading, sticking, or warping. Between lost moments and restoration, a conservative estimate over 20 years runs to $50 or more, sometimes much more for priceless images.

Do the maths. Total cost just for shooting, printing, and storing those memories could stretch beyond $1,850, and that's without tallying up enlargements, extra sets, or those rolls lost to the sands of time.

Why Digitise? Why Now?

Today, partner shops in the Capture Australia network offer a straightforward path from faded print to digital file. Instead of letting photos gather dust (or get nibbled by your neighbour's dog), digitising your collection is:

Affordable compared to reprinting or replacing lost originals.
Permanent: digital files are safe from moisture, mould, fading, and fire.
Accessible: share old birthday snaps within seconds, no rummaging required.
Restorable: basic colour correction and dust removal brings old prints back to life during the scan process.
Space-saving: free up your cupboards and garage, and relive more moments without the boxes.

What Happens After Digitisation

Getting your photos scanned is just the start. Once your collection exists as digital files, a whole world of possibilities opens up.

Google Photos is one of the most useful destinations for your digitised memories. Upload your scanned photos and Google's AI can automatically organise them by face, place, and date. You can then search your entire family archive by typing something like "beach 1988" or "Grandma birthday" and get results in seconds. If you'd like to know how Google Photos works with your digitised collection, read our guide to Capture in the Google Photos app.

Beyond storage and search, digital photos are easy to share. Create a shared album so your whole family has access to the same images, regardless of whether they're in Sydney or overseas. Print high-quality copies for relatives who prefer physical photos. Turn your best scans into a printed photobook, canvas print, or framed wall art, all from your phone or laptop.

Digital files also mean your photos survive the unexpected. A house fire, flood, or move that would destroy a box of prints cannot touch a file stored in the cloud. Multiple backup copies across different services, such as Google Photos, an external hard drive, and a USB stored in a separate location, give you real peace of mind.

The Google Photos Partnership

Capture Australia is a validated partner inside the Google Photos app. It is the only scanning provider in Australia to hold that recognition. When you open Google Photos on your mobile device, you can find Capture listed as a trusted option for bringing your physical photos into the digital world. That validation reflects the quality and trust the Capture network has built, recognised by one of the world's most trusted technology platforms.

For a deeper look at how this partnership works in practice and how to get the most out of your digitised photos inside Google Photos, read our guide to using AI in Google Photos.

Don't Let History Slip Away

From Kodak days to the digital cloud, your memories deserve to be restored and shared. The longer you wait, the more the prints fade, curl, or stick to their sleeves. Find a partner shop near you and take the first step toward preserving your family's story.