I want a photobooth
Vintage Machines With a Modern Problem.
Keeping an analogue photobooth running is harder than it looks.
Why We Don’t Sell PHOTOBooths
We get enquiries every week from people wanting to buy one of our photobooths and start their own business.
By 2026, genuine working vintage chemical booths are rarer than many rare cars, with less than 1% surviving worldwide. The machines, parts and specialist knowledge needed to keep them operating have almost completely disappeared along with the dedicated paper.
There is no more sourcing parts and it has been this way for the last decade. There are only a handful of specialists left worldwide. Even the companies that produced the dedicated photographic paper have closed, leaving us reliant on increasingly scarce alternatives. Being in Australia, we have to hand-make all of our photographic chemistry from imported chemicals and constantly finding solutions to keep the machines running.
What looks like an autonomous business is actually a highly specialised, expensive and daily hands-on operation involving machines that are up to 70+ years old.
We don't sell our analogue booths because we don't have enough parts to keep our existing machines running, let alone support new operators.
what WE can offer are permanent analog photobooth placements or digital rePLICAS.
Digital replica photobooths can recreate the look, feel and experience of the vintage, analog machines for locations where chemical machines aren’t viable.
We'd much rather be upfront about the reality of owning an original analogue booth than sell you something that soon may become almost impossible to operate.
If you’d like to reach out about a potential location for our last chemical machines or for a replica digital machine please email: metroautophoto@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
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Most booths accept card and cost $8, while the Flinders Street booth remains coin-only at $8.
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Between 3.5 - 4 minutes.
Each strip needs a developing cycle - just like a tiny darkroom inside the machine. -
Every Metro Auto Photo photobooth uses traditional wet-lab chemical processing on light sensitive paper, not digital printers.
This is why the strips last forever and have that special look and feel that only analogue processes provide. -
Comfortably: 2–3
Squeezed in : 4–5
Record: 7 -
Depending on the booth:
Card only on most locations
Coin only at Flinders Street
Card + Coins at The Curtin
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Yes! We love seeing them.
Tag @metro.auto.photo or send strips to our Flinders Street Archive account. -
Not without prior permission.
Our photobooths are for personal use only. Any commercial photography, filming, brand campaigns, advertising, music videos, editorial shoots, or paid content etc must be approved by Metro Auto Photo in advance.We love collaborating, but commercial use needs to be planned properly and permissions granted.
To enquire, get in touch via our Hire & Commercial Enquiriespage.
The Shop
From everyday totes to the Auto-Photo book documenting Alan Adler’s remarkable archive, our merch collection celebrates the people and history behind Melbourne’s real photobooths.
PLEASE NOTE IF ORDERING BETWEEN 5/4-10/4 IT WILL BE FULFILLED THE WEEK FOLLOWING đź’Ś
Co-published by Perimeter Editions and the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits tells the story of Alan Adler, a man who is likely the most photographed person in Australia, and is also perhaps the oldest and longest-serving photobooth technician in the world.
New variation on our tote bag with illustration of the famous Flinders St Photobooth, high quality screen printed on AS Colour Shoulder Tote.
Fabric: Heavy weight, 320 GSM, 100% cotton canvas
Construction: Reinforced shoulder straps, one large main compartment
One size 46cm x 37cm, Gusset width 12.5cm
Grab our new book, a collection of Alan's test strips over 50 years. Curated by Metro-Auto-Photo (that's us, hi!👋🏻) and Centre of Contemporary Photography. Co-Published by Perimeter Books & Centre for Contemporary Photography.
First edition of 1000, worldwide.
Pop it in your new tote bag (Choose: Original White or Black), featuring the famous Flinders St Photobooth. Save some coin buying the bundle and we'll chuck in a sticker!
Every sale helps us continue to save analog photobooths from extinction.
Thank you so much, your support means the world to us.