Photography/Photo collections
There are many collections of subjects for a Sim to photograph. These are shown in the skill panel after the first subject has been captured from that set. When trying to capture a photo for a collection, make sure that the game gives it the caption for the shot.
Plants and Flowers
24 subjects. Pictures of various plants. The common plants can be found around your base Neighborhood, but some require travel to all three vacation destinations. Having the Gardening skill will help.
The plant has to have sprouted to be recognized as a subject for the picture.
If you are having trouble photographing garden plants, check to see if you have a sprinkler covering them.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Tree | 
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| Renoit Grape Vine |
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Found at the Nectary in Champs Les Sims. |
| Avornalino Grape Vine |
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Found at the Nectary in Champs Les Sims. |
| Cherimola Blan Grape Vine |
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Found at the Nectary in Champs Les Sims. |
| Lettuce Plant |
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| Tomato Plant |
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| Pomegranate Tree |
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Found at a garden near a palace in Al Simhara. One of the houses in France has a pomegranate tree. |
| Plum Tree |
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Found at a garden near a palace in Al Simhara, or can be bought in Shang Simla. One of the houses in France has a plum tree. |
| Carnerlet Nuala Grape Vine |
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Found in the Secret Garden on Chateau du Landgraab, or on the small island in France. |
| Meloire Grape Vine |
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Found in the Secret Garden on Chateau du Landgraab. One of the houses in France behind the camp. |
| Gralladina Fran Grape Vine |
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Found in the Secret Garden on Chateau du Landgraab, or on the small island in France. |
| Onion Plant |
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| Garlic Plant |
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| Flame Plant |
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Grows from a Special Unknown Seed. Can be found in the Pyramid of the Burning Sands in Al Simhara; one of the houses in Sunset Valley also has a flame plant. |
| A Life Plant |
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Grows from a Special Unknown Seed. The Great Pyramid in Al Simhara contains one as well, as does the pyramid of wind. |
| Bell Pepper Plant |
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| Death Flower Bush |
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Often found in Graveyards, or grows from Special Unknown Seed, or grown from a Death Flower. |
| A Lime Tree |
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| Watermelon Vine |
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| White Rose |
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Called 'Semi-Roses' in the build menu. |
| Hydrangea |
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Either pink or white will do. |
| Red Rose |
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Called 'Rosey Roses' in the build menu. |
| Potato Vine |
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| Sunflower |
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Bought in the build menu. (Not the one in the vase) |
Architecture and Buildings
11 subjects.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Market |
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In Shang Simla or Al Simhara |
| Town Theatre |
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In hometown, next to the bookstore. |
| City Hall |
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Your town's city hall |
| General Hospital |
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Your town's hospital |
| Mausoleum |
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In the Graveyard . |
| Sports Stadium |
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A sports stadium |
| A French Market |
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In Champs Les Sims |
| Chinese Garden |
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Scholar's Garden in Shang Simla |
| Nectary |
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In Champs Les Sims . |
| Bookstore |
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A bookstore |
- Game Issue
There is a problem reported by some player that some rabbitholes are not registered as the subjects of this photo collection, to get the subject you must move your sims to another town and capture the picture there.
Best in Class
14 subjects, luxury items and Sims who have reached the top of their profession
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| Omniplant |
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Complete The Omnificent Plant opportunity. Can also been found on the backyard of the Science Center in Sunset Valley |
| A Money Tree |
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Grows from Unknown Special Seed. |
| Superstar |
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Sim at the top of the Music career. |
| SuperCop |
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Sim at the top of the Law Enforcement career. |
| Nectar Rack |
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In buy mode under shelfs. |
| Expensive Stereo System |
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In buy mode most expensive stereo. |
| Luxury Car |
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An expensive car (can be bought in buy mode). |
| Fancy Tent |
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Sultan's Tabernacle (bought in Vacation with Ancient Coins). |
| Military Bigwig |
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Sim at the top of the Military career. |
| A Limo |
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A limosine |
| Diplimat Extraordinare |
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Sim at the top if the Political career. |
| Chief Lifesaver |
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Sim at the top of the Medicine career. |
| Master Criminal |
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Sim at the top of the Criminal career. |
| A Top Chef |
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Sim at the top of the Culinary career. |
Oh the Calamity!
9 subjects, bad situations make great photo opportunities
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oh no! Snake! |
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Can be caught by taking a photo of a sim bit in the face or hand by a King Cobra from the snake basket bought inAl Simhara . |
| Slap Fight |
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| One Sick Sim |
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Nauseous Sim on his way to the bathroom or bent over the toilet already. |
| A Fight |
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| A Thief! |
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| Soaked to the bone |
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From Dive Well or steam Trap. |
| A Singed Sim |
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From fire , explosion, electrocution or from exploring catacombs in the Graveyard . |
| A Social Worker |
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Neglecting a Baby. |
| The Repoman |
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Not paying bills. |
Collectables
22 subjects, gems, rocks and relic collections.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gold |
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| Tiberium |
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Very hard to find. Read about Tiberium in the Gem collecting article. |
| Luminorious Gem |
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| Mercury Vial |
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| Pink Diamond |
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| Rainbow Gem |
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| Opal |
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| China Statue Set |
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Green Dragon, Snake of Simhara, Wandering Tiger of Baroo. |
| Dangerous Creatures Statue Set |
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Statue of Ammit, Statue of Anubis, Fudog, Fearless Gargoyle |
| Egyptian Statue Set |
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Seth of the Desert, Statue of the Cobra, Horus of the Sky, Sultan of the Sphinx |
| Canopic Jar Set |
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| Dropa Stone Set |
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There seems to be a glitch that makes this snapshot impossible for some users. It won't recognize the set, just "a relic". |
| Mummitomium |
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Found inAl Simhara . |
| Silver |
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| Copper |
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| Space Rock |
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| Geode |
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| White Diamond |
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| Magic Gnome |
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Any Mysterious Mr. Gnome will do. |
| Topaz |
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| Iron |
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| Quartz |
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Paranormal
13 subjects, mummies, ghosts and death
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| A Mummy! |
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Found in some tombs at Al Simhara . |
| Mummy Having a Snack |
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A Mummy eating food. |
| My Dead Enemy |
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A ghost of an enemy |
| Death On Vacation |
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The Grim Reaper while on vacation. |
| Simply Death |
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The Grim Reaper. |
| Wandering Ghost |
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Has to be non-family. |
| It's Haunted |
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Object possessed by a ghost. |
| A Ghostly Problem |
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Two ghosts. |
| A Ghost |
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| Doubly Dead |
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Ghost mummy |
| My Dead Spouse |
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| A Serious Ghost Problem |
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Five ghosts. |
| Too Many Ghosts! |
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Three ghosts. |
Sims in Motion
17 subjects, action shots of Sims.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| Honing Body and Mind |
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Sim practicing with the dummy inShang Simla 's special garden. |
| Sims Dancing |
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| Solo Dancer |
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| Fighting Fire |
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| Playing Catch |
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Requires a child or someone with Childishtrait. |
| Pleading to the Sphinx |
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Get cursed by a mummy and then travel to Al Simhara. |
| Get a Room! |
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Sims making out on the couch during the day. |
| Sims Sparring |
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With the required object from Shang Simla . |
| Making Nectar |
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From the nectar making machine. |
| Running |
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| Pushing Statue |
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In a tomb at vacation. |
| Fighting Flab |
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Sim working out. |
| Great Tunes |
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Sim playing music. |
| Sim Making the Bed |
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| Board Breaker |
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With the required object from Shang Simla . |
| Refreshing Swim |
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Sim in a pool. |
| Dumpster Diving |
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Sim digging through a dumpster |
Everyday Moments
25 subjects, everyday life
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
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Any sim.
Can not be a friend of the photographer. |
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Two sims.
Neither can be a friend of the photographer. |
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Can be a sim holding a teddybear. |
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Any image of a couple at night.
Neither can be a friend of the photographer. |
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Can not be fighting or running to fight fire. |
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Take a photo of another sim taking a picture with a cell phone or camera. |
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Can be one sim playing chess. |
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4 or more sims.
None can be a friend of the photographer. |
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Sim playing in a sprinkler. |
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3 sims.
None can be a friend of the photographer. |
Home Sweet Home
13 subjects, pictures of objects around the home.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| A Party! |
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A couple of party objects. (Balloons and Cake) |
| Bathroom Stuff |
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Towel rack and toilet paper |
| Gadgets Galore |
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Two electronic objects. |
| Toys & Hobbies |
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Children's toys such as a car or boat. |
| Kitchen Kitsch |
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Picture of your kitchen will usually do. |
| A Toilet |
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| Outdoor Stuff |
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Any two outdoor activity items. |
| A Nice Garden |
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Three plants |
| Furniture |
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Two pieces of furniture |
| Something Yummy |
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A serving of food |
| Home Decor |
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Any two decorative items (Picture & Curtain) |
| Cute Teddy Bear |
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| Baby Stuff |
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Any two baby items. |
| Home Decor* |
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A sculpture made using the Pedestrian Sculpting Station. |
- Game Issue
A problem has been reported by some players that Home Decor category is listed twice on the list (so it become total 14 subjects) after installed The Sims 3: Ambitions. This second Home Decor category object is any sculpture made using the Pedestrian Sculpting Station.
Still Life
10 subjects, pictures of objects
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| Objects |
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Easy, just random items not covered by another subject |
| Box of Tissue |
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| Nectar and Food |
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Bottle of nectar (not already served) and any plate of food. |
| Video Game System |
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| Television |
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| Tombstone |
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Go to the Graveyard . |
| Flowers |
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Two or more flowers. |
| A Couch |
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or a bench. |
| Candles |
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The Mood-Lite candle from the buy mode, decoration/other, or the Grocery Store. |
| Garden Decorations |
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Gnome/Flamingo/Etc. |
Travel
20 subjects, all around the world.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| A Relic |
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Any relic from any of the 3 vacation locations. |
| Pushable Statue |
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| Floor Trap |
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| Giant Boulder |
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Most of them are in Shang Simla . |
| Torch of Anubis |
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Decorative statue holding a torch found in Al Simhara. |
| Sarcophagus |
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Found in Al Simhara . |
| Pile of Ancient coins |
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| Floor Switch |
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| Pile of Rubble |
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| Treasure Chest |
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| Great Sphinx |
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Found in Al Simhara . |
| A Pyramid |
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Found in Al Simhara . |
| Lovers in China |
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Easiest if you just take a couple with you on vacation and make them kiss once arrived. |
| Soulpeace Statue |
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Only found inside The Sphinx tomb. |
| Lovers in France |
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Easiest if you just take a couple with you on vacation and make them kiss once arrived. |
| Abu Simbel |
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Tomb in Al Simhara. |
| Shower in a Can |
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Buy at any of the general merchants. A Sim using a Shower in a Can |
| Snake Charmer |
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Sim using the snake basket, bought in Al Simhara . |
| Lovers in Egypt |
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Easiest if you just take a couple with you on vacation and make them kiss once arrived. |
| Dragon Cave |
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Tomb in Shang Simla . |
Around Town
13 subjects, buildings and vehicles around your home town.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
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| Bicycle |
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| Car |
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| Diner |
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| Grocery Store |
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| Gym |
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| Picnic |
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Buy a picnic basket in the buy menu. |
| Places In Town |
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Any picture of two random locations in town. |
| Police Car |
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| School |
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| The Beach |
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Lot must be zoned commercially as a Beach. |
| The Bistro |
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| The Park |
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Lot must be zoned commercially as a Big Park. |
| The Spa |
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Sharma Day Spa; Sunflower Spa does not work. |
- Game Issue
There is a problem reported by some player that some Rabbit holes are not registered as the subjects of this photo collection, for example Brunton's Boxcar Diner is the diner for Twinbrook but when you try to capture the picture, the diner subject doesn't appear. So if the player want to get a diner subject, they must move their sim to Sunset Valley or Bridgeport and capture the picture there.
Family and Friends
10 subjects, pictures of family and friends
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| My Friend |
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Your sim's friend, good friend, best friend, etc. |
| My Main Squeeze |
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A photo of your Sim's boy/girlfriend (Romantic Interest works too) |
| Two of My Friends |
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Two of your sim's friends, good friends, best friends, etc |
| Family Member |
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A family member who is not the child, grandchild, or spouse. |
| Three of My Friends |
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Three of your sim's friends, good friends, best friends, etc |
| Housemate |
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Someone who lives with your Sim, but isn't a family member. |
| My Spouse |
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Your sim's husband/wife |
| My Grandchild |
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Your sim's grandchild |
| My Child |
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Your sim's kid |
| Ghostly Family |
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A family member who is a ghost. |
Ambitions
10 subjects, professions
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sculpture Garden |
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5 or more sim-made sculptures |
| A Makeover |
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Sim offering another sim a makeover. Snap this picture before entering the makover window |
| Eccentric Collection |
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Collection of items made at the inventing station. |
| Big Air |
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Sim jumping on trampoline |
| Bake Sale |
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Kid sim using a baker's stand |
| Fire in the Hole! |
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Sim detonating something. |
| Top Brass |
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Sim at the top in a profession: architectural designer, firefighter, ghosthunter, investigator, stylist. |
| Getting a Tattoo |
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Sim getting a tattoo, not just the tattoo chair |
| Tools of the Trade |
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Any Ambitions work bench |
| A Fire Engine |
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Nightlife
10 subjects, city night life
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
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| A Hotspot |
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A night club with Sims (Not a dead night) |
| A Mixologist |
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A mixologist working |
| Celebrity Sighting |
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A celebrity posing |
| Rocking Out |
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Sim playing a music instrument. |
| Bar Games |
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Dart board |
| Dancing Fools |
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Sim dancing on a counter |
| Skinnydipping |
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A sim skinny dipping |
| Vampire |
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A vampire posing |
| Food Truck |
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A food truck (does not have to be serving people) |
| Cocktails |
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A drink from a bar |
Generations
10 subjects, Celebrating life
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
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| Graduation |
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A sim in their graduation robes |
| Party Sims |
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| Caught! |
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Kid or teen caught pulling a prank or doing something bad |
| Pillow Fight |
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Two sims pillow fighting |
| Party Dancers |
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| For Science! |
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Making a potion |
| Backyard Fun |
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i.e. playing catch |
| Imaginary Friend |
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A ghost |
| Sleepover Fun |
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| A Wedding |
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Two sims exchanging rings |
Animal Kingdom
10 subjects, Animals and pets.
| Pet in a cage |
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| Baby animals |
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At least 2 baby animals. |
| Birdie |
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| Horse & Rider |
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| Deer |
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| A dog |
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| A cat |
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| A Horse |
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| A Zoo! |
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At least 3 animals. |
| My Pet |
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Pets in Action
10 subjects, Pets doing stuff..
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
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| Dead Bird |
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| Cute Cat |
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Cat playing. |
| Talking Bird |
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The bird must know at least 1 language. |
| Death Riding |
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When a horse dies, Death comes for the horse soul and rides the horse. |
| Pet Cemetary |
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| Show Jumping |
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Horse jumping. |
| Dog Tricks |
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| Heroic Horse |
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A horse (and rider?) performing the heroic pose action. |
| Clever Cat |
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Cat hunting something |
| Tug of War |
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Supernatural Photo Journal
11 subjects, Supernatural creatures
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
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| ZOMBIES!!! |
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| Elixir |
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| Fortune Teller |
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| Magical Items |
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| Mystic Architecture |
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| Spellcasting Duel |
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| Werewolf Playing Fetch |
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| Magic Mushrooms! |
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| Howling Werewolf |
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| Fairy Trick |
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| Werewolf Scratching Furniture |
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Seasons
14 subjects.
| Subject | Difficulty | Player notes |
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| Aliens! |
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| Rainy Day |
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| Haunted House |
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| Serious Competitive Eating |
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| A Game of Horseshoes |
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| Fun in the Sun |
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A sim on a floaty in the water |
| A Festival |
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| Autumn Leaves |
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| Snow Day! |
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A sim making a snow angel |
| Snowball Fight! |
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| Water Balloon Fight! |
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| Spring Dance King |
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| Spring Dance Queen |
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| Seasonal Party |
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