The Sims 3/Photography

Photography is one of three new skills for The Sims 3: World Adventures, and carried forward in The Sims 3: University Life expansion pack. Children and older can learn Photography skill by taking a snapshot using a camera or smartphone camera. As an alternative from using the camera, Sims can learn by reading a Photography skill book. If Sims graduate from LeFromage Art School, there's a chance that they will learn the Photography skill and come home with a camera in their inventory. However, if both World Adventures and University Life are installed, all children and older will receive a camera in their inventory.

Sims who take up the Photography skill can complete the photo collections, that can be viewed in the skill journal. The photo collections can be completed by taking photographs of various events, objects, Sims, and places using the camera. The snapshots taken will be worth more, depending on Sims' Photography skill and the subject of the photograph.

Prior to University Life, many premade Sims in the World Adventures sub-neighborhoods - Al Simhara, Champs Les Sims, and Shang Simla - begin the game with a ChannonTec Outlaw SE camera in their inventories and have learned Photography skills. Only these Sims possess cameras at the beginning of the game. With Ambitions, Sims can register as a self-employed Photographer.

Statistics

 * Photographs Taken
 * Unique Sims Photographed
 * Strangers Photographed
 * Ghosts Photographed
 * Burglars Photographed
 * Money Spent
 * Money Earned
 * Favorite Subject
 * Favorite Style
 * Favorite Aspect

Challenges

 * Photog
 * Capture 75 unique subjects and photographs will all have a higher base worth.


 * Architectural eye
 * Capture 10 unique landmarks and all landmark photos will be worth more.


 * Human form expert
 * Capture 50 unique Sims and you'll be able to improve your Sim's relationships with other Sims just by taking photos of them


 * Paparazzi
 * Capture 60 unique Sims that are strangers and photos of strangers will be worth more.


 * Shutter nut
 * Complete 5 photo collections and all photos after that cost nothing to take.

Camera mechanics
What sort of photos a Sim can take depend on two major factors. The first is the quality of their camera, and the second is their skill level. Sims with low skill levels will not have access to some of the features found on high-end cameras. On the other hand, cheaper cameras simply do not have features like the ability to zoom in and out. Images are stored in a menu accessible from the camera object in a Sim's inventory, and can be sold, deleted, or moved into the Sims main inventory for keeping and displaying. Each time a Sim takes a photo it costs money depending on the filter and size used. Players must counteract this cost by taking photos that are worth more.

Cameras recognize objects, Sims, events, and places in the game, and will only properly reward Sims for capturing an object once in any day, so it pays to make the first attempt count as often it won't be profitable to have a second try. Rare places, Sims and objects serve to make more profitable photographs. Guarantee getting plenty of money by photographing landmarks like The Dragon's Maw or hybrids like the Ghost-Mummy. Sims can name all their photographs.

Camera interface
Each time the player clicks on a camera in a Sim's inventory and select 'Take Photo' the camera interface will appear. It is relatively intuitive. If any of these options is greyed out, it means either the camera is not capable of them, or the Sim's skill is still too low.
 * Press C to take a photograph. If the game is paused the photo will not appear in the camera until it is unpaused.
 * Press I to cycle through the available sizes of photo.
 * Press F to cycle through the available photo filters.
 * Press X/Z to zoom out or in on the subject.

Photo sizes
There are four sizes of photographs that relate to the Photography skill, with one size that does not.


 * Panorama
 * Panorama photos are the largest and most profitable. They all have a wooden frame, and can fit broad regions or wide compositions as they are exactly three floor tiles in width.

Photo filters
There are four filters that will affect the price of the resultant photos, but the better ones also make photos cost more to produce. These are, in order of expense:


 * Color
 * Black and White
 * Sepiatone
 * Classic Vignette

Posing Sims
Using the 'Ask Sim to Pose' interaction on any Sim will result in them standing still, and cycling through a variety of poses such as peace signs and placing their hands upon their hips. There is currently no way to get Sims to do a plain, maintained pose of any kind.

Opportunities
There's a number of adventures requiring the photography skill.

Occasionally, when your sim checks the Adventure Board at the Base Camp, local townspeople request that you take pictures of various tomb objects.

For an example, a Champs Les Sims local wants the sim to photograph a floor switch for a brochure of the location. So, your sim must go to the nearest tomb to take a picture of the floor switch.

Even if your sim doesn't have any photography skill, and the picture "fails" the person who requested the picture will still give you Ancient Coins.

You still must take a picture of the floor switch though. While taking the picture, when you focus the camera onto the floor switch, it will say "Floor Switch" at that point, take the picture and the requester will accept it. If it is not the floor switch, they will not accept the photograph.