Film services

Your film, closer to home.

Since BICA Photographic in Kingston closed, Canberra has been without a local film lab — leaving photographers here with no choice but to post their film to Sydney or Melbourne. This is a small, boutique operation run by an enthusiast film photographer, here to fill that gap. The pricing reflects that: this is about making film photography accessible locally, not about profit. If demand were ever to grow to the point of warranting it, the pricing would reflect that too.

I shoot film myself, so I know how much can go into a single roll — and I treat every one accordingly. B&W is processed in Ilford DD-X in a temperature-controlled, temperature-compensating rotary processing machine — consistent agitation, repeatable results, no hand-tank variation. C-41 and E-6 are run in the same machine using Ilford chemistry. Push and pull processing is available on all formats and can be selected when you place your order. A 10% surcharge applies to the development price to reflect the additional time and chemistry involved.

Negatives are returned sleeved and flat. Turnaround is typically five business days for B&W and E-6, three for C-41 — longer during busy periods, in which case I will let you know before I begin.

Archival scans, delivered as 16-bit TIFFs.

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  MirrorlessCanon R5 Mark II and Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens, producing clean, sharp files at an accessible price point — suitable for most negative and print work. Available for 35mm and 120.
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  Epson FlatbedA reliable middle ground between mirrorless and drum scanning. The Epson platen holds 120 and 4×5 film flat for consistent, repeatable results — a strong choice for medium and large format work where you want more resolution than mirrorless without the premium of the Imacon.
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  Imacon / Hasselblad Virtual DrumA different category entirely: holds film in optical contact with the scanning element, eliminating flatness and Newton ring issues that afflict flatbed scanners, and resolves grain structure that other scanners miss. Available for all formats.

Scans are delivered as JPG, PNG, or 16-bit TIFF files via download link, in your chosen resolution — standard (1500px), high (3000px), or ultra (6000px+). Files are named by roll and frame number. All scans are profiled and minimally corrected — no heavy-handed processing — so that you retain full control over your own colour grading and retouching. Scanning turnaround matches development: three to five business days depending on process and volume.

Getting your film to us.

If you're local, you can save on postage by dropping your film off at our partner location — no packaging beyond a labelled bag required. If you're further afield, we accept mail-in orders from anywhere in Australia via our parcel locker.

Leave your film with the friendly folks at:

Just let the staff know it's for Humayun Qureshi Photography. Please have your film labelled with your name and order number before you drop it off.

We accept mail from anywhere in Australia. Send to:

We recommend Australia Post with tracking. See our packaging guide → before you seal up your parcel.