How to Take Pictures in Tears of the Kingdom

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (TotK) has a vast, beautiful world. There’s so much to see and enjoy, you may have moments where you wish you could snap a picture of it all to share with friends or view in the future. Well, the game actually has a camera mechanic, allowing players to take pictures and even selfies of Link as he explores Hyrule.

This guide will show you how to take pictures and how to access the camera in TotK.

How to Get the Camera

Before snapping any pictures of Hyrule, you’ll first need to obtain the in-game camera. To do this, you’ll need to complete the “Camera Work in the Depths” quest. The quest is available very early on in the game, after finishing the tutorial and activating the Lookout Landing tower.

Here’s how to access the quest:

1. After finishing the tutorial and getting your paraglider, head to Lookout Landing.
   
2. Talk to Purah Robbie
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3. When you finish talking with her, you’ll hear her student, Josha, mention someone called “Goggles.”
   
4. Follow Josha underneath the lab.
   
5. Once she’s met up with Robbie (Goggles), Josha should get a red exclamation point above her head, indicating that she has a quest for you. Speak with her to start the quest.

Once you speak with Josha and Robbie, you’ll learn that Josha wants to go down to the murky underground Depths, but Robbie won’t allow it. Instead, he recommends that he and Link go down there instead.

Robbie will offer to meet Link at the Hyrule Field Chasm, which is near Jionsin Shrine. You might already have unlocked that shrine, so you can fast-travel there to speed up the process. Otherwise, you’ll have to make your way over there on foot.

Here are the steps to follow to complete the quest:

1. Once you arrive at the chasm, dive in and use your glider to land on the floor below.
   
2. Meet up with Ponnick, who will let you know that Robbie has gone missing.
   
3. You’ll need to follow Robbie’s tracks from campfire to campfire, picking up notes he left behind along the way.
   
4. Keep heading west, and use Brightbloom Seeds with your arrows to light up the darker areas.
   
5. You’ll have to fight some Bokoblins along the way, but you’ll eventually get to the Iayusus Lightroot and reunite with Robbie.
   
6. Robbie will teach you how to use the camera, and you’ll have to snap a picture of a nearby statue to put your photography skills to the test.
   
7. You can then fast travel back to Lookout Landing and show Josha your photo to end the quest.
   

How to Use the Camera

Once you’ve completed “Camera Work in the Depths,” you’ll be free to use your camera for the rest of your adventure in TotK. The quest provides you with a brief tutorial on using the camera, and here are the instructions in case you need a refresher:

• The camera acts as an ability, just like Ultrahand and Ascend. So, in order to access it, you’ll need to press and hold the “L” button to bring up the ability wheel. Select the camera icon with the aid of the right stick, then let go of “L” to leave the menu.
  
• Use the right stick to aim your camera. Zooming in and out is possible with the aid of the arrow buttons; this can help you get close-ups or wider shots.
  
• Press the “A” button to snap a photo when you’re happy with how it looks.
  
• You can also take selfies with the camera. To do this, bring out the camera as normal, then press the “X” button to switch over to selfie mode or “Self-Portrait Mode,” as the game calls it.
  
• Again, use the arrows if you want to zoom in, before pressing “A” to take the photo.
  
• While in selfie mode, move the left stick around to make Link strike a pose.

What’s the Point of Taking Pictures in Totk?

Taking pictures in TotK is fun, but it also serves a purpose: filling the Hyrule Compendium. You’ll be able to access the Hyrule Compendium after finishing the “Camera Work in the Depths” quest. It’s basically like an encyclopedia (or Pokedex, to take a similar popular concept) for the world of TotK.

As you snap pictures of creatures, enemies, treasure, and materials, you’ll fill out the compendium with new entries. Completionists will definitely want to fill out the entire compendium, and there’s also a side quest attached to this, called “Filling Out the Compendium,” which Robbie gives out as well.

The way the compendium works is quite simple: whenever you aim your camera at something, its name will appear in either blue or red. If the name appears blue, it means you already have the compendium entry for that item or creature. If it’s red, it means that you don’t have the entry yet, so try to snap pictures of everything with a red name.

As well as filling out the compendium, many players may like to take pictures simply to save or share with friends. You might like to snap a photo of a cool creation you made with Ultrahand, for example, or capture a beautiful vista as you explore the world of Hyrule.

How to Take Screenshots in TotK

The camera isn’t the only way to take pictures while playing TotK. You can also capture screenshots using the Switch’s built-in “Capture” feature, which allows you to snap images of the screen or even make short clips (up to 30 seconds) of your gameplay.

Press the “Capture” button on your Switch to make a screenshot at any point while playing. The “Capture” button is found on the left Joy-Con on most Switch models, or under the “+” Control Pad on the Switch Lite. If you want to view your screenshots, go to the “Home” menu and click on “Album.”

FAQs

How many pictures can I store in my album?

It’s possible to store up to 64 pictures in your in-game album at any one time. When you hit that limit, you’ll have to delete some photos to free up space. You can access and manage the album by pressing the – button.

Are there other ways to fill out the Hyrule Compendium?

Yes, as well as taking photos, you can simply purchase compendium entries from Robbie at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. This is a handy way to grab those last few items you may have missed, and each new photo you buy costs 100 rupees.

Do you get a reward for filling the Hyrule Compendium?

When you fill out the Hyrule Compendium, Robbie will give you a unique item called Robbie’s Fabric. This fabric is used to give your paraglider an attractive golden appearance, but it’s only a cosmetic benefit.

Get Snap Happy in TotK

It’s a lot of fun to play around with the camera in TotK, and with a huge compendium to fill, you’ll surely be taking many pictures of your adventures. Just remember to be careful when using the camera in the wild, as enemies can still attack you while you’re trying to photograph the surroundings.

Have you used the TotK camera much? Snapped any fun photos? Share your thoughts and best moments on the camera down in the comments.