Photo collections - Can they all be completed?

[PJSim]

When WA first came out I never really got into photography but now I'm really starting to enjoy it.

I remember though that there used to be problems with certain photos in the collections and I've been trying to get Google to tell me if that's still the case - not easy!

By problems I mean photo subjects that are not just difficult but flat out impossible to capture due to programming error.
Example: It used to be impossible to get a photo of the Town Theater in Sunset Valley. This has been fixed in a patch though; the patch notes say so and I've taken that photo myself.
What about the Dropa stone collection? I believe that one was impossible because of a typo in a game file, is that fixed or is it still broken? Did anyone ever get a picture of the Dropa stones to register in the skill journal?
Anything else not working?

In short, I'm hoping some of the completionists here can tell me: Can all the collections in the Photography skill journal be completed? Or if a patch broke something; could they ever?

[Saltypaws]

Unfortunately PJ, the photography is really glitched.  Some can take pictures for a while and then they vanish from the camera.  There are sims that freeze when you click their pic in the left corner and items not registering while trying to take the picture.  I believe there are a couple more, but I forgot.  There is another thread that gives a little more detail, but photography is shot.  Too bad, because this was an awesome feature, plus you can't even do the professions that require pictures.  I am not sure if they will ever come out with a patch to fix this, but it's a very important part of gameplay that should be corrected.

[TheChronicR]

I agree with Salty. But there is a way to fix this. If you have any opportunities saved for any of the household's Sims, either cancel or complete them. This way the Sim won't freeze and the photo will register. Tested this myself and worked. It's impossible to complete Photography opportunities unless you take the necessary photo(s) beforehand.

Photography is one of the most bizarre skills, that's for sure. Some photos don't have a proper description, others are glitched like you noted. There is a way to complete all the collections, however. It just is extremely time consuming, both in-game and real-time. You will most likely spend 100 sim-weeks before you complete them all. Some things depend on the game itself, like capturing a political protest and there's really not much you can do to control this. Anyway, all photos can be pictured, not sure about the Dropa one, though. I've been struggling to find what each of them requires during the photography event (before my file got borked out), so feel free to PM me if you need info.

EDIT: Forgot to note, never do this in Twinbrook, the beach (if I remember right) can't be captured. It hasn't been fixed. The only town with all "stable" community lots is Sunset Valley, and, most likely, Bridgeport.

[Saltypaws]

I am glad it worked for you, but I have tried everything, even what you suggested Chronic.  I did however, try something that someone had suggested, if you can, take the sim on vacation, buy a new camera and when you go home, it works, only for a short time though and for some, it actually fixed it long enough to complete some of their photography opportunities.  If you don't want to travel, I am not sure buying one in buydebug works the same way.  I don't know about the professions though.  I finally just gave up and decided not to even bother with it.  I hope they fix it sometime.

[PJSim]

... it's a very important part of gameplay that should be corrected.

I agree, it's wonderful for all kinds of reasons.

I know photography is borked worse than ever right now and that's one reason I plan to get rid of the Generations patch and maybe Late Night too for the time being; I just want some stuff to work.

If you have any opportunities saved for any of the household's Sims, either cancel or complete them. This way the Sim won't freeze and the photo will register.

This is how I've been able to use the camera at all in my game. It works a little differently for me than what you describe. Only the Sim taking the picture needs to have no opportunities, the other in my house can have several, it makes no difference. Also I've discovered I can accept photo opportunities and photography still works. Every other kind of opportunity makes the game freeze except the photo ones. Oh joy! I thought, but no. I can take the picture alright, it gets labeled properly but the game doesn't register that I've done it.

And this:

It's impossible to complete Photography opportunities unless you take the necessary photo(s) beforehand.

doesn't work for me either. I've tried taking the picture first, then accepting the opportunity later, no joy. I can't complete photo opportunities, period.

It just is extremely time consuming, both in-game and real-time. You will most likely spend 100 sim-weeks before you complete them all. Some things depend on the game itself, like capturing a political protest and there's really not much you can do to control this.

Sure, I've seen lots of those protests in my game but once I need one to happen it will probably take forever. I plan to just have my Sim lug the camera around while doing other things and snap those events when I see them. That's why the no opportunities thing is such a game breaker for me, you can't really do anything else.

Oh, and I'm sure it will take forever and I'll probably never get all the collections done but it's still nice to know it's possible before you begin.

... feel free to PM me if you need info.

Thanks, maybe I will but I've already found lots of good tips on the forum. Except those Dropa stones...


Okay, I'm going to nuke that toxic patch! *stomps off to reinstall yet again*

[Seabody]

To answer the original question, no. Flat out.
Even if you're lucky enough to have Generations and the patch and not have the major bug, like me (touch wood), Home Decor is impossible to get.

[PJSim]

Is this is because it shows up twice in the list?

[Seabody]

It does? It shows up once for me. Nothing registers.

[PJSim]

Oh, I see.

I've seen people mention that they have 2 Home Decors in the list and only one will register. Hmm, something odd about that one.

[Pam]

I've been able to get Home Decor, I'm pretty sure.  But it was before the current problems with Photography.

[TheChronicR]

Home Decor is possible to get. The one with no description came with Ambitions and requires you to photograph a finished sculpture, made using the sculpting station. It's noted in the Photography guide, even. Every shot is possible to get in these collections:

Still Life

Family & Friends

Everyday Moments

Home Sweet Home

Around Town (not in Twinbrook and Riverview)

Travel

Oh, the Calamity!

Architectural & Buildings Collection

Paranormal (requires extra-cruelty and extra-hard-work)

Best In Class (if attempted to be completed without cheats, be sure to waste the most time on)

Plants & Flowers

Sims In Motion.

I haven't included Collections because of the Dropa Stone bug.

[PJSim]

Thanks everyone, I'm going to give it a shot. (See the pun I did there? )
It will probably take ages because I don't have very much time to play most days. I'll stick to Sunset Valley which is my favorite anyway, and I got rid of the Generations patch so at least I don't have the freezing bug.

[Leto85]

When you import a sim who have fulfilled photographic collections in your game after installing the patch (and bug), does he still have those collections fulfilled, or are those removed because of the bug?

[kiko94]

The new 1.24 patch seem to have fixed it, maybe you could give it a try

[norsky]

When you import a sim who have fulfilled photographic collections in your game after installing the patch (and bug), does he still have those collections fulfilled, or are those removed because of the bug?

It depends whether you imported the sim as a household or just a CAS. If their's a bug, then you probably shouldn't have the collection. I'm pretty sure 1.24 patch fixed this problem.

•Sand Piles and Tomb décor will no longer be visible in an unexplored tomb.
•An issue that broke functionality for Nectar Bottles and Nectar Racks has been resolved.
•Photos taken with cameras from World Adventures will now be properly saved to the inventory.
•Objects placed in a Sim’s Family Inventory will no longer disappear when returning from a Vacation world.

If you have the the latest patch, it has seemed to fix it.

[Serena Darrin]

In Sunset Valley, I can't get a photo of the Sports Stadium for the Architecture and Buildings Collection. It keeps coming up as 'Places in Town.'

Is that a bug, or am I supposed to be shooting something else?

[PJSim]

I also couldn't get that pic to register when my Sim was right in front of the stadium.
Try taking a picture of the left side of the building, worked for me.

[Serena Darrin]

I also couldn't get that pic to register when my Sim was right in front of the stadium.
Try taking a picture of the left side of the building, worked for me.

Ok, thank you.  It was very frustrating, as I was trying to complete a collection.

[Frey]

My photography skill is really unstable. One day it can work perfectly and all Generations bug disappear, and the next day when I open the game it's completely ruined. Resetsim sometimes works, others not. Today it's been one of those lucky days, I'm knocking wood for it to stay so. But my game doesn't freeze when the bug hits... it just won't label any picture, no matter what I do. Oh, and sometimes the action of taking a picture doubles itself without me ordering it too... like, my sim takes a picture, finishes the action and then it appears again, and the sim gets stuck, but that happens before she takes the picture, not after, like most people say.

To answer the original question, no. Flat out.
Even if you're lucky enough to have Generations and the patch and not have the major bug, like me (touch wood), Home Decor is impossible to get.

I got it a few minutes ago, but took me forever to do it. I got lucky trying to photograph something else when I saw the label and took the pic. But the one I can't capture is the spa (in Riverview). I've tried from every possible side, location, angle, size, filter and every other option available. ResetSim, Closing the game... nothing works.

The new 1.24 patch seem to have fixed it, maybe you could give it a try

Really? in the other post they are saying it didn't. Did you install the patch yourself and it is working? I want to know because I haven't installed it yet  I had major issues with the latest one, so I want to be sure it's not a deadly patch again before I download it. Well, the launcher won't let me do it anyway, but I mean, for when they fix that bug.

Anyways... I wanted to ask this and thought this thread was right for it: How on seven hells do you capture the Death in Vacation (or something like that... my game is in spanish hehe) picture? I've tried everything, even trying to cheat and kill a townie but the game doesn't allow it, it says "this sim doesn't age up" when I shift-click on them.

[PJSim]

But the one I can't capture is the spa (in Riverview). I've tried from every possible side, location, angle, size, filter and every other option available. ResetSim, Closing the game... nothing works.

I found that the Riverview spa doesn't work, neither does the diner from Twinbrook. I had been editing my Sunset Valley lots and used those buildings and I couldn't photograph them.
You can fix it in Edit Town. What I did was: pick an empty lot and change it to a community lot, put down the spa and diner from Sunset Valley in Build mode and have my Sim take a pic of those. After you have your photos you can just bulldoze the lot so it doesn't make your town look weird.

How on seven hells do you capture the Death in Vacation (or something like that... my game is in spanish hehe) picture? I've tried everything, even trying to cheat and kill a townie but the game doesn't allow it, it says "this sim doesn't age up" when I shift-click on them.

I haven't gotten around to this one yet but I was planning to have my photographer Sim bring another Sim on vacation with him. I'm going to make one in CAS for this purpose, call him Red Shirt or something (heh), bring him on vacation and then bump him off.
Also I think you can age up a mummy; you should be able to get Doubly Dead that way too.

[Frey]

You can fix it in Edit Town. What I did was: pick an empty lot and change it to a community lot, put down the spa and diner from Sunset Valley in Build mode and have my Sim take a pic of those. After you have your photos you can just bulldoze the lot so it doesn't make your town look weird.

Great! I'll do that  .

I haven't gotten around to this one yet but I was planning to have my photographer Sim bring another Sim on vacation with him. I'm going to make one in CAS for this purpose, call him Red Shirt or something (heh), bring him on vacation and then bump him off.
Also I think you can age up a mummy; you should be able to get Doubly Dead that way too.

Yeah, already tried that. Took the mother with her, who was an elder about to die, and I thought I would make her age up in China so thast she would die there. Turns out  the game doesn't allow you to age up your sims while travelling, and neither can you age up a townie to do so. The thing is... I've never, ever, seen a townie sim die in any of the world adventures locations. I don't pay too much attention anyway as my sims are always raiding tombs, but... do they even die? I mean, can you just wait for it to happen and pray that you will be lucky enough to be there? My books seller in China for example, he is always starving, like screaming and touching his belly and everything, but he never starves to death.

[PJSim]

Turns out the game doesn't allow you to age up your sims while travelling

Well, that's annoying. I knew it was impossible with the locals but I thought you could bump off your own Sims. And I don't think the locals can die while you're there, I think it goes with not being able to age them.

Well, maybe you can start a fire with a cheap stove or fireworks. Or have a Sim tinker with electrical equipment.

Or there's mummies. I know it has been possible to age up a mummy in foreign locations but I don't know if any patches has changed that. Or you could make your own mummy, bring it on vacation and make it walk through a firetrap.

Eh, this will be more trouble than I thought.

[Frey]

Yeah, I think that one and the Doubly Dead pictures are the hardest ones. Well, that and three is a crowd... which sounds really easy but my game keeps labelling the pictures as three of my friends instead of three is a crowd, or it just doesn't label anything. Today is one of those days when photography works terribly lol. I haven't been able to capture Shower in a can either.

I think you could take a mummy with you on vacation and make it cook with no cooking skills on a cheap oven, or just put the mummy to repair some stuff at your own vacations home. But that requires a lot of work... I mean, unless you like cheating, you need to find the canopic jars, complete the sarcophagus, get the mummy, reach level 3 of visa somewhere and then buy a house. Getting that picture won't be easy, that's for sure.

By the way... what is "Photo of the photographer" supposed to be? A photo of another sim taking a photo? I tried capturing my sim in the mirror while she was taking her own picture but that doesn't work  .

[Leto85]

By the way... what is "Photo of the photographer" supposed to be? A photo of another sim taking a photo? I tried capturing my sim in the mirror while she was taking her own picture but that doesn't work  .

Letting two sims in your household taking a picture of each other should work. Right at the same time that is. Did you tried that already?

[Frey]

Nope, I need to get a second camera first. Just wanted to check that it was worth the time getting one. Thanks! (goes take that picture  )