The Sims 4 Photography Skill Guide

Controls, Taking Pictures, Photo Studios, and Memories

Sims 4 Photography in Get to Work
Two Sims pose for a Photographer to take their picture

The Sims 4 Get to Work features a Photography Skill, which lets you earn some money or decorate your home with photos of your Sims' lives. This guide will cover the controls, money-making potential, and mechanics of photography to help you make the most of the Skill.

How to: Photography Cheats
Press Control + Shift + C then type testingcheats on and press enter. You can now set your skill level with stats.set_skill_level major_photography x (fill in 1-5) - we also have a full listing of Skill Cheats and a master list of Cheats in The Sims 4

The Sims 4 Photography Patch and Game Health News

News on the health of the player base. We also have a new patch for The Sims 4's photography skill that allows players to make adjustments and stand photos on tables.

The Sims 4 Video

Getting Started
You may want to make your Sim Creative so that they'll randomly get Inspired buffs, which helps with the Photography Skill. Buying a Camera is as simple as going to Buy Mode > Objects by Room > Study > Hobbies & Skills. There, you'll find the 3 Cameras offered. They're compared below. In general, the more you're willing to pay, the better quality your photos, which affects price.

Sims 4 Photography - different cameras are available
Three different Cameras may be purchased in Buy Mode. You can also use your Sim's phone to get started, but don't expect much money with bad pictures.

  • Barely Better Digital Camera ($) - Barely better than a phone. Landscape and Portrait modes, flash control. No zoom, small pictures available. Lowest quality.
  • Appreciably Average Digital Camera ($670) - Landscape and Portrait modes, flash control. Zoom functionality available, medium pictures available. Medium quality photos.
  • Crystal Clear Digital Camera ($2,015) - Landscape and Portrait modes, flash control, Zoom functionality, small to large pictures available. Best likelihood of 'Outstanding' Photos, even at low Skill.

Taking Pictures
Taking photos is done by either clicking the phone and going to the Entertainment tab, or clicking the cameras in your inventory. Each use will give a base amount of experience, more if your Sim is Inspired. You have a few options - 'Take Photo With', which will be a selfie with another Sim. You can 'Take Photo of..' to select a nearby Sim to have them pose for you. Finally, you can just 'Take Photo' to use the camera to take pictures of whatever you like.

Pictures can be hung on the wall to decorate your home, or to be sold at retail. You may add a frame to the picture once taken, or apply filters to alter how it looks.

Explore My Mods! Color Picker for Builders, Seasons Tuner, Dine Out Reloaded and a Gameplay Overhaul! Like other modders, I've been working to make The Sims 4 a better game. Check out my many mods here!

Sims 4 Photography Conrols
The left mouse is used for most of Photography's Controls

Photography Controls
How to control the camera was a point of confusion for me, so here's how you change options on your camera to take pictures. When in Photo mode, use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out (or else + and - on the keyboard). Also, you may left-click to switch from moving the camera to controlling the mouse. This allows you to change the orientation of the photo (landscape or portrait), change the picture size (small, medium, large photos), or disable the flash.

-->
Sims 4 Photo Size
Photo sizes may only be adjusted using the camera's interface with the mouse

Click 'Show Filters' to the left of the photo control panel to apply filters to your picture, which can also be done once a photo has been taken. Pressing 'C' will take a picture instantly, or else you can zoom and pan to your target with the arrow keys and use the left mouse button to click the take picture button.

Sims pose for a photo
Sims will pose for you when you use the camera to take their picture

Getting Inspired
You may Cloudgaze if you own Outdoor Retreat. Take a Thoughtful Shower, Admire Art while having the Art Lover Trait, and Browse Art on Computer. These all give Inspired moodlets that can help.

Gaining Levels in Photography - Using the Skill
Be sure to be inspired to ensure you have fewer pictures to take to max the Skill at Level 5. Sims may earn Skill simply by taking selfies with their phones in order to begin building experience. A higher grade camera doesn't seem to affect skill experience - you can gain XP taking selfies with the phone. When you start to take a picture, you'll get five shots. You can hit escape to cancel after taking only one, but take all five. This is best because it will give you a bit more money per usage of Photography. You'll also have a higher chance of taking high quality pictures, because each shot is a roll of the dice.

Sims 4 Photography in Get to Work
Anything you take a picture of will get you skill experience. Shoot all five times to get higher quality photos.

Photography Skill Unlocks
As stated before, the Skill caps at level 5. There are no skill unlocks, meaning this Skill simply scales in picture value and quality as you level up. Photos range from Poor, to Normal, and Oustanding. The odds of Outstanding photos grows the more you have leveled, and being Inspired helps with that.

Sims 4 Photography in Get to Work
The Photo Studio in The Sims 4 Get to Work

Making Money with Photography
Photos' value are independent of size, and are not affected by the Marketable Reward Trait, so don't bother. They can be worth up to $30, but are generally in the upper 20s when outstanding. This means you can expect to make $130-$150 with 5 Outstanding photos if sold directly. With regard to retail, restocking a picture costs $10 flat, no matter its size or quality. So, if you can move your markup higher and ensure you are maximizing profit on each sale, you can earn a bit selling pictures. Just stock those that are closer to $30 and avoid those that are worth only $10, and go without employees unless you're also selling something else.

Photo Studio
With the Photo Studio object, you can turn your retail store into a photo studio. You have the option to take photos of an individual Sim, which is easy to do, but the Sim AI seems to be rough when it comes to taking group photos and the tend studio interaction. The money earned for taking a photo is small - from $10 for 'Tend Photo Studio' to $50+ when you select a Sim to take a picture yourself. You do keep those pictures in your Sim's inventory, which means you can pop 5 at a time and sell them as usual. The studio just adds a bit of extra income. From a pure profit standpoint, tending the photo studio is a bad way to make money, but when you select 'Take Photo of' with the studio on a Sim that is already on your retail lot, you can earn quite a bit from the commission and then pictures combined. It's not an outstanding money-maker, but it's not too bad either! A Sim can certainly live off the money.

Other Get to Work Guides

Expansion Guide
Retail Guide
Retail: Customers and Sales
Retail: Employees and Managing
Retail Perks in Get to Work
Aliens
Baking Skill Guide
Photography Skill Guide
Detective Career
Doctor Career, Diseases and Diagnosing Patients
Scientist Career
Planet Sixam (Alien World)

Sims 4 Skill Guides

Acting  |  Archaeology  |  Baking  |  Charisma  |  Comedy  |  Cooking  |  Dancing  |  DJ Mixing  |  Fabrication  |  Fishing  |  Fitness  |  Flower Arranging  |  Gardening  |  Gourmet Cooking  |  Guitar  |  Handiness  |  Herbalism  |  Juice Fizzing  |  Logic  |  Media Production  |  Mischief  |  Mixology  |  Painting  |  Parenting  |  Photography  |  Piano  |  Programming  |  Research and Debate    Robotics  |  Rock Climbing  |  Rocket Science  |  Singing  |  Skiing  |  Snowboarding  |  Vampire Lore  |  Veterinarian  |  Video Gaming  |  Violin  |  Wellness  |  Writing

How You Can Support The Site and Channel

If you like my sites and Youtube Channel, consider supporting me on Patreon to help me to continue.

Back to The Top


Check Out My Youtube Channel!

We now have a Youtube Channel with over 50 guides in video format to go along with the huge site I've already created. Check it out and consider subscribing if you like my style.


Add Comment

* Required information
2000

Comments (14)

Gravatar
New
Julianasays...

This is great, too bad we can't take family photos. Would love to hang family pictures on the wall.

Gravatar
New
Alexissays...

I know how you feel I can only take pictures of a couple pre kids and such. Mad

Gravatar
New
Lindsaysays...
I wish this skill had achievements like in The Sims 3.
Gravatar
Regular
Hannahsays...
I reeeeeeally wish that we could take our memories/screenshot photos and hang them on the wall. Like wedding and birthdays and stuff..
Gravatar
New
JaSminesays...
I wish i could see the images in the electronic arts folder on my actual laptop!!!
Gravatar
New
Jelboysays...
Actually, you can:
Documents > Electronic Arts > Sims 4 > Screenshots
Gravatar
New
Alexissays...
Mad I wish this was on normal sims 4 Crying
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Yeah, it's difficult when you see a feature that a game pack has when you don't have the game pack!
Gravatar
New
rylannsays...
you can now! no cheats or mods needed!
Gravatar
New
hayleysays...
I wish you could change the pose of a sim when your taking the photo!Mad
Gravatar
New
Skarsays...
Omg yassssLaugh
Gravatar
New
Huck Perrysays...
you can pose your Sims if you have a list of poses and the pose mod Cool Wink
Gravatar
New
UhhhHisays...
Do you know the name of the mods?
Gravatar
New
Subtlesays...
Seems silly that we can use "paint from reference" but can't use the photographs taken by a camera as a reference as it would involve exactly the same process. I wonder if some enterprising modder might be able to come up with something.
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Be a very popular mod if they did I'd imagine! Smile
Gravatar
New
AutumnAnderssays...
Does anyone know if there is any chance that it will also be included in City Living? UnsureSleepSad
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Not quite sure what you mean as sims can take photos etc just like always whether you have City Living or not, as long as you have Get To Work installed.
Gravatar
New
sharon suiressays...
any pics taken with phone or camera can be placed on a wall for all to see if you want bigger pictures you re size them with the resize tool and add a frame they look great in different sizes all over the house
Gravatar
Regular
Jesssays...
My photos keep coming out black even after changing the background and adding light!!
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Unfortunately the last patch has cause this bug to appear again in simmers games. There is an open bug report about it for you to add a 'Me Too' if you would like to.
EA Bug Report - Photos Black
Gravatar
New
skatoolakisays...
Anyone else having an issue with the little yellow plus & smiley face icons that appear above a sim when skill-building messing up their "Take a Selfie" and "Take Photo With..." photos? These floating icons are visible in the photos, which not only looks strange but sometimes mars a really good photo when they are covering a sim's face. I don't really know of any way to make this *not* happen, save a cheat that turns those icons off (though I haven't found one yet). Anyone else having this issue and/or found a way to remedy it?
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Are you referring to the little sparkly icons that occur when a sim is doing something that is positively impacted by a lot trait? If so, just go into build mode and remove the lot trait as those icons do not disappear with a cheat unlike plumbobs etc.
Gravatar
New
skatoolakisays...
I didn't realize those came from lot traits. I just started playing again after a months-long break & bought a few packs before I got back into the game and found lot traits as a new thing. Thank you!! Smile
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
No problem! They certainly are annoying the way they do not respond to the hide plumbob cheat! Smile
Gravatar
New
Janeen Brownsays...
I have a journalist sim who takes photos of the things she's investigating. She creates story boards on her walls to inspire her writing, but it would be really nice if we could make albums of our sim's photographs, and especially nice if they were high enough quality (and stored) so that we could create CC artwork with them. Basically I'd like to do MORE with the photography skill than is currently allowed. I also am baffled as to why the photos are never worth more than $30! I'm sure someone would pay more for my photographic evidence of the dangers in the Spice Market or teen homelessness in Newport (I play rotationally, and one household is a homeless teen challenge).
Gravatar
New
shaysays...
Hi! I have a question... when I put the photos on my walls they only show up black but they work fine my sims can still interact with the photos its just black.
Gravatar
New
firasays...
yea at first I thought it as a ghost since it shaped like a bald head kinda of that haha and my other photo has gnome in the corner of the Photo I don't know where it came from
Gravatar
Regular
SnazzyStarfishsays...
Hi! Recently, after updating my sims soon after the Diwali addition, I noticed that I have access to the notebook on my sim's phone (which never used to happen), and also the photography skill! I have all the cameras and such. However, I don't own the Get to Work expansion pack. Is this supposed to be happening or not? Am I just being worried of the new update? Unsure

Thanks!
Gravatar
Senior
Playalotsays...
Every simmer who updated with the most recent patch got the photography skill for free. So, yes... this feature that previously you had to pay for by purchasing Get To Work is now free for everyone. Smile
Gravatar
Regular
SnazzyStarfishsays...
Oh! Okay thank you! Smile


Make Seasons Better!

Sims 4 Seasons CheatsThe Sims 4 Seasons expansion now has options! Want to disable weather or make plants in season year-round? You can do so with my new Seasons Tuner Mod

  • Disable Seasons individually
  • Always Sunny! Set to Base Game Weather
  • Grow Year Round - Make Plants Always in Season!
  • Healthy Year Round - No more Winter twigs
  • Disable Color Changes - on ALL Plants & Trees
  • Disable Fall Leaves
  • Disable Ground Snow
  • Keep the Stuff You Paid For!

A Deeper Game

The past month, I've spent every day tinkering The Sims 4, making quality of life improvements, gameplay changes, and new difficulty settings for the game. If you'd like to learn more about my project, visit the post on Patreon where you can download it now.

Cottage living

The Sims 4 Cottage LivingCottage Living Guide! Here is my guide to new features in the Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion

You can also find handy Cottage Living Cheats

I have much more to come, since you can actually write a few guides about this pack!

Calling all Blender Users

Blender has been incredibly useful in video production, so I made my own Physics and Simulation Improvement Addon that lumps a ton of unique tools into one compact interface.

Sims 4 Snowy Escape

The Sims 4 Snowy Escape launches November 13, 2020 and my coverage has started. Until I get my review ready, you can learn about the following:

Snowy Escape Cheats
Lifestyles in Snowy Escape
Climb Mt. Komorebi
Sentiments in Snowy Escape
Rock Climbing
Skiing Skill
Snowboarding Skill

Sentiments & Platforms (Free Patch!)

I've released a guide to Sentiments in The Sims 4 & Snowy Escape.

There is a new platform tool in The Sims 4. There's also a new Sentiments system, but it'll take some time to create a guide to that. Players can also use rental lots in any world now by changing lot types of builds in manage worlds.

Best Mods in Sims 4

I've created a massive List of The Best Mods in The Sims 4 that should be very helpful to new players and those who have not yet explored modding and how much it can do for your gameplay.

Search my Sims 4 Site

Support Us

Readers who use adblock or those who'd like to thank me for my efforts can now pledge $1/$5 monthly via Patreon. This helps a lot with server costs and provides some stability for my business.

Super Sim Checklist + Other News

Super Sim Text + Checklist and Video Guide! Here is my Super Sim Challenge Guide and Checklist to accompany my video guide to making Super Sims in The Sims 4 that you can view on Youtube.

This is inspired by a new series in which I start at toddler and gradually take on the major bonuses. Here's a link to the full playlist!

I now have a guide page to Tiny Living Stuff where you can learn about Murphy Beds, the new death, as well as the lot bonuses you'll receive if you manage to keep the size of your lot down with this new pack's Tiny Home Lot Type.

Let's Play Playlist

Super Sim Gameplay in The Sims 4

New I now have a guide to Making Super Sims in The Sims 4. Look for a text version within the next 72h. It won't have THAT much more info but it will help out as a checklist.

This was inspired by a series, "Let's Play a Super Sim" in which I start at toddler and gradually take on the major bonuses. Here's a link to each part for people who are interested. You can also see the Let's Play as a Playlist on Youtube.