Photography

Photography in inZOI refers to the in-game activities where Zois themselves take photos, post selfies, and create media content. This is distinct from Photo Mode, which is the player-facing screenshot tool accessed from the top toolbar. Photo Mode pauses the game and gives the player full camera control for screenshots, but it has no effect on gameplay, skills, or Zoi behavior. In-game photography, by contrast, builds the Media Production skill, satisfies urges, rewards Meow Coins, and connects to the Bubbly social media platform.

Photography vs. Photo Mode

Understanding the difference between these two systems is important because they serve entirely different purposes:

Ways to Take Photos

Zois have several methods for taking photos, each with different equipment requirements and experience rewards.

Smartphone Selfies

Every Zoi carries a smartphone from the start with no purchase needed. To take a selfie for social media, right-click on the Zoi, navigate to the Smartphone submenu, and scroll to find "Post a Selfie on Social Media." This posts the photo to Bubbly, inZOI's in-game social media platform.

This action requires the Zoi's Challenger Value to be at least 60 points. Challenger Value increases through creative and social activities like painting, singing, socializing, and surfing. The Adventurer trait provides a naturally high Challenger alignment. Once the threshold is met, posting a selfie grants a Tranquil mood boost and rewards Meow Coins. The action also builds a small amount of Media Production experience.

The selfie option is found in the right-click context menu under Smartphone options, not through the actual smartphone app interface. Players need to scroll to the bottom of the menu to find it, which is a common source of confusion.

Selfie Spots

Selfie spots are designated photo locations scattered across the game world. They are marked with camera icons and white spots on the ground at scenic areas such as parks, beaches, and scenic paths. Interacting with the camera icon presents the "Take Selfie" option.

Selfie spots exist in both Dowon and Bliss Bay. Cahaya Island also has selfie spots, located on the main island near the beach. Finding all the selfie spots across each city is part of the exploration experience. Taking a selfie at a spot builds Media Production experience and fulfills the "Wants to Take a Selfie at a Local Attraction" urge.

Camera Furniture

Zois can use photography equipment placed in their home or at community lots through Build Mode. Desktop-mounted cameras allow Zois to take selfies indoors, while tripod-mounted cameras can photograph other Zois or landscapes. Using camera furniture builds Media Production experience at a higher rate than smartphone selfies.

Photography Equipment

The Photography category under Hobby Furniture in Build Mode includes seven items:

Ring lights and softboxes improve the lighting quality for photo sessions. The Vintage Camera is a premium item that unlocks at a higher skill level and adds a retro aesthetic to the photography setup.

Media Production Skill

All photography activities contribute to the Media Production skill, which is available from the Teenager life stage onward. The skill covers both photography and video content creation. Taking photos provides quick but low experience per action, while editing videos on a computer gives more experience but takes longer.

Skill Level Unlocks

Video quality and sale price scale directly with skill level. Advertisement Videos created at level 5 sell for less than the same type created at level 9 or 10. For maximum income, guides recommend waiting until close to level 10 before selling videos in bulk.

Video Creation

Zois can edit videos on any desktop computer or laptop by clicking the computer and selecting "Edit Video." At level 0, only a basic editing option is available. As the Media Production skill increases, specialized video types unlock:

When creating a video, the Zoi can add a title and description before selling it online. Completed videos appear in the inventory and can be sold instantly. Video projects are time-intensive and require the Zoi's needs to be managed throughout the editing session. The Vision Maker Computer (unlocked at level 3) is a dedicated workstation designed for content creation.

The Themed Studio

The Themed Studio is a community lot located on the northern side of Dowon. It functions as a dedicated photography studio for staged photo shoots. Unlike residential building, the Themed Studio has an unlimited budget for decorating and building, making it a creative sandbox for photography setups.

The studio includes preset rooms (templates) that can be applied instantly, or the space can be completely cleared for custom builds. Any modifications can be reversed at any time by reapplying a preset. Zois can use the in-studio cameras to take photos as a gameplay interaction, and players can also activate Photo Mode from the hotbar while inside for staged screenshots.

The Themed Studio is popular for creating narrative screenshots, staging scenarios like meet-cutes or weddings, and building elaborate sets for social media content.

Bubbly Social Media

Bubbly is inZOI's in-game social media platform, functioning as an Instagram-style feed. When a Zoi posts a selfie to Bubbly, the action fulfills the "Post a Selfie on Social Media" urge and grants Meow Coins as a reward.

Other Zois also post on Bubbly, and you can read their updates and view rumors spreading through the platform. Posting positive content earns good karma, while Zois with Bad karma or worse can spread rumors about others through the platform.

Photography Urges and Preferences

Photography-related urges appear based on the Zoi's personality and preferences:

Urges expire after 12 in-game hours if not fulfilled. The Taking Photos preference can be assigned during Zoi creation and determines whether a Zoi likes or dislikes photography activities. Zois can hold up to 10 preferences simultaneously, and preferences can change over time based on events and actions.

The Taking Photos preference aligns with four Desired Life paths: Life of Perseverance, Life of Harmony, Life of Familial Devotion, and Life of Excitement. Having this preference makes photography-related urges appear more frequently.

Photo Frames and Decorations

Photos can be displayed in the home using picture frames available as furniture in Build Mode. Players can insert custom images into picture frames by clicking the brush icon on the frame, selecting the folder icon, and uploading an image file.

• Supported formats: PNG and JPG (rename .jpeg files to .jpg if they fail to upload).

• Square dimensions (e.g., 1024x1024) work best and avoid stretching.

• Custom images may appear slightly darker than the original after being applied.

• Customized frames can be saved as furniture presets and shared via Canvas.

Two special photo-related furniture items unlock through the Media Production skill:

The 3D Printer can also transform uploaded 2D photos into decorative 3D objects, though these are strictly decorative and non-functional. Simple, symmetrical images with contrasting backgrounds produce the best results.

Photography Career

There is currently no dedicated photography or content creator career in inZOI. However, the Media Production skill functions as an informal freelance content creation path. Zois can earn Meow by selling edited videos, and posting selfies rewards Meow Coins. Players on the official forums have requested influencer, vlogger, and photographer career tracks as future additions.

Tips

• Smartphone selfies are the fastest way to build Media Production experience early on. Each action takes only a few seconds.

• Visit every selfie spot in each city to fulfill the attraction selfie urge and discover new locations on the map.

• Set up a home photography studio with a Camera, Ring Light, and Tripod-Mounted Camera for efficient skill leveling without leaving the house.

• Wait until Media Production level 5 or higher before selling videos in bulk. The quality difference between early and late videos significantly affects the sale price.

• The Themed Studio in Dowon has an unlimited budget. Use it to experiment with elaborate photography setups without spending your own Meow.

• Assign the Taking Photos preference during Zoi creation if you want photography urges to appear regularly.

• Use the Creative Corkboard (unlocked at level 5) to display multiple photos in one space rather than buying individual frames.

Related Articles

• Photo Mode

• Media Production Skill

• Bubbly

• Smartphone

• Build Mode

• Art and Painting

• Careers