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Overview
Photo Mode lets you pause the game and take composed screenshots with full control over camera placement, lighting, character poses, and post-processing filters. It is a standalone feature separate from normal gameplay screenshots. Photos taken in Photo Mode are higher quality and offer far more creative control than pressing a screenshot key during play.
Photo Mode cannot be activated during cutscenes. Press Ctrl+Shift+U to hide the UI for a cleaner shot while in Photo Mode.
Camera modes
Photo Mode offers two framing modes and two camera perspectives:
Framing modes
Portrait: A tight focus centered on the subject. Best for headshots and upper-body compositions where you want to emphasize facial detail and clothing.
Landscape: A wider field of view that captures more of the environment. Best for showing off builds, outdoor scenes, and group shots.
Camera perspectives
Selfie Mode: The camera faces the Zoi from the front, simulating a selfie. The Zoi looks directly at the camera.
Play Camera Mode: The standard third-person camera angle from gameplay. Gives you a more natural, candid look.
Both perspectives work with both framing modes, giving you four basic camera setups before any further adjustments.
Filters
Nine post-processing filters are available. Each one changes the color grading, contrast, and overall mood of the image:
Realistic: No filter. The default look.
Cartoon: Cel-shaded, illustrated appearance with outlined edges.
B&W Cartoon: Cartoon filter in black and white.
Diorama: Tilt-shift effect that makes the scene look like a miniature model.
Lovely: Soft, warm tones with a slight bloom effect.
Fisheye Lens: Barrel distortion that curves the edges of the frame.
Mono: Black and white without the cartoon effect.
Retro: Desaturated, vintage color palette reminiscent of old film stock.
Thriller: High contrast, dark tones, dramatic shadows.
Camera controls
Beyond the framing mode and filter, Photo Mode gives you manual control over several camera parameters:
Action | Key/Button |
|---|---|
FOV (Field of View) | Adjust how wide or narrow the lens is. A low FOV produces a telephoto compression effect; a high FOV produces a wide-angle look. |
DOF (Depth of Field) | Control the blur on the background and foreground. Shallow DOF isolates the subject; deep DOF keeps everything sharp. |
Background removal | Toggle the background to a solid color or remove it entirely. Useful for character portraits or when you want to isolate the subject. |
Time of day | Adjust the in-game clock to change the lighting. Move from golden hour to midday to midnight without leaving Photo Mode. This does not affect actual gameplay time. |
Poses and expressions
Photo Mode includes over 40 poses and 10 facial expressions that can be applied to Zois in the scene.
Poses come in two types:
Static poses: The Zoi holds a fixed position. Standard portrait and action stances.
Dynamic poses: The Zoi performs a short looping animation. The camera captures a freeze-frame from the animation, so you can time the shot to catch a specific moment in the movement.
Poses and facial expressions can only be changed while the game is paused. If you unpause and re-enter Photo Mode, you need to reapply the pose.
AI Emote
AI Emote is a tool within Photo Mode that generates custom poses from uploaded media. You can:
Upload a video clip and the AI extracts a pose from a frame.
Upload an image of a person in a specific pose and the AI replicates it on your Zoi.
This is part of inZOI's broader Video-to-Motion AI technology. The generated pose can be applied to any Zoi in the scene. It is separate from the 40+ built-in poses and gives you effectively unlimited posing options. Custom poses created through AI Emote can be saved and uploaded to Canvas for other players to use.
Facial Capture in Photo Mode
Facial Capture works within Photo Mode. If you have an iOS device connected via Live Link Face, your real-time facial expressions transfer onto the Zoi while you compose the shot. This lets you capture natural, specific expressions that aren't available in the built-in expression presets.
Facial Capture requires an iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network as your PC. See the Facial Capture article for setup instructions.
Saving photos
Photos taken in Photo Mode save to:
C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\inZOI\Photo
Replace [USERNAME] with your Windows user profile name. Photos save as PNG files. The folder is created automatically the first time you take a photo.
Tips
Use the Diorama filter on exterior shots of houses built in Build Mode. The tilt-shift effect makes buildings look like detailed miniatures.
Combine Selfie Mode with the Lovely filter for warm, social media-style character portraits.
The time of day slider is your most powerful tool. Golden hour (early morning or late afternoon) produces the most flattering natural light.
For action shots, use a dynamic pose, lower the DOF to blur the background, and increase the FOV slightly for a sense of motion.
Background removal is useful for creating Canvas thumbnails. A clean background makes your Zoi or build stand out in search results.
Ctrl+Shift+U hides all UI elements. Don't forget to press it before taking your final shot.